Not Human
by billy morph
Summary: There is a place where nightmares happen, where they take you away from your home, your friends, your parents everything. I escaped, but they're still hunting me. I'm Kit, and I'm not human. Sequel to Borrowed Wings
1. KitCat

_Authors note: Okay just before I start I would like say a few things. Firstly I don't own anything from the books. Secondly this is a sequal and while you don't have to of read Borrowed Wings it will help with some of the back-story. Thirdly Kit is, as many of you will recall part tiger so expect more violence in this story, but it is only Erasers and White Coats and no one cares about them. And finally, enjoy. _

Not Human

Kit-Cat 

I could hear the steady squeak of the approaching trolley; they were coming for us, me and my sister. I looked at Sophie huddled in her own cage through the bars of mine, she hadn't heard them yet, she just sat nestled in her wings staring into space. She shouldn't have to be going through this; we'd been kidnapped about a month ago by a group of so called scientists, we'd been taken away from our family, put in cages and recently crossed with animals.

My claws sprang out of their sheaths when I thought about this. Yes the crossing with animals worked, there were eighteen other kids in the same room as us at the beginning of the month but now they were all dead, only Sophie and me _worked_. She got crossed with a bird and I picked a tiger out of the species lucky dip. I have fur, fangs, claws, a tail, big rounded cat ears and what felt like a short muzzle, and according to Sophie my eyes are now yellow.

The door to the room opened and two White Coats wheeled the trolley inside. I growled fiercely at them, out of the corner of my eye I saw Sophie cower inside her cage; she shouldn't have to be going through this, it was my job to protect her, I'd been doing that since she was born.

The White Coats stopped in front of us and one mimed making a decision between us. I growled louder, as if he didn't already know, they'd requested one of us for 'tests', and he knew even if we didn't.

"Her," he said pointing at me; I showed more fang and growled louder. They manhandled my cage on the trolley, the smart ass White Coat got his hand too close to the bars and I lashed out at him, one of my claws biting deep into his finger.

"They're in for a challenge," he observed dryly, sucking his finger. I grinned, I hoped it got infected. Sophie in her cage whimpered in fear. I wasn't surprised, the last time they took us for 'tests' Sophie got strapped to a table and I got a black eye, though I did put an Eraser in the infirmary.

"Don't give up Soph," I mouthed at her as they wheeled me away, she just sat there whimpering. I didn't know whether I wanted to hug her or kill everyone in the building for doing this to us, maybe both.

"Bloody thing scratched me," one of the White Coats grumbled sucking the tip of his finger, once we were out of the room and the door was closed securely behind us. I growled again, they didn't let us talk but growling isn't talking and almost as satisfying.

"So where now?" I snarled, I wasn't really expecting an answer, but what the hell, talking annoys them.

"You'll see soon enough," the one I scratched said, rapping the bars of my cage with his cattle prod and grinning almost as viciously as me. "And no talking." I growled again, I really hated him. We passed the door to the lab where they did all the experiments and I breathed a sigh of relief. Though knowing the White Coats, they had something even more nasty planned.

They opened a door and pushed the trolley inside and then dropped my cage on the floor with a bone shaking crash. They have never put my cage down gently, though I should probably be more annoyed about the whole cage thing more than anything else.

"Out," said the other White Coat menacingly, unlatching my cage and rapping his cattle prod on the top of my cage, sending a tingle down my spine. I growled a curse and pushed open the door and slipped out, ignoring just how easy it was to walk on all fours.

"Now let's see just how vicious you really are," he said grinning and backed out of the door holding the cattle prod between us at all times. I growled again, seriously thinking of pouncing anyway but I'd learned after all the little 'tests' they'd done just how much those things hurt. The White Coat stepped out of the room and pressed something on the wall and the door slid shut, the smug smirk never leaving his face.

I stopped growling with a sigh and looked around. It looked like I was in a cloak room of some sort. Totally empty of course, so no chance of finding a weapon, but the real question, why leave me here? I got unsteadily to my feet, really unsteadily, I couldn't get used to what they've done to my feet. I took a tentative step forwards and fell flat on my face.

"Stupid paws," I snarled getting back on all fours; it was easier, I could learn to walk properly later; and went to check out the door.

It was useless though, an ugly key pad lock crouched on the wall next to the door, and no way that was going to open. I rested my hands next to the lock and regarded it angrily, wondering if I hit it hard enough it would open. Suddenly there was a pneumatic hiss from behind me and I whirled, only just keeping my feet, but it was just a second door opening emitting a bright shaft of sunlight.

I smiled slightly, that was probably my first sight of the sun since the Erasers captured us, so long ago now. I didn't move though, just stayed frozen, tensed, and waiting for something to come through that door, probably an Eraser with a gun given my luck.

A full thirty seconds passed. Nothing. I took a tentative step towards the door. Still nothing. Another step. Zilch. I couldn't hear anything either, just the whisper of the wind as it slipped past the open door. They couldn't be letting me out could they? I squashed that thought before it could take root. What they'd done was illegal on too many levels just too let us go. I'd have to escape on my own if I wanted out.

I reached the door and, after a moment's hesitation, stuck my head out and glanced around quickly taking a deep breath of free air. The world had more scents than I remembered, probably to do with being part cat now, though it was still poisoned by the rank of antiseptic. I couldn't see anyone, just the edge of the building and grass fading into forest two hundred yards away. Oh, and a large enclosure made of fencing topped with razor wire attached to the side of the building, which I was slap bang in the middle of.

I took a step outside and immediately regretted it as the door slammed shut behind me almost catching my tail. Great now I was probably going to be picked off from a window or something. I walked slowly around my enclosure, looking for a way out I guess, it was about fifty yards square and had just been put up judging from the disturbed earth by the fence.

I spun around as I heard the door open and two Erasers emerged, attempting to walk nonchalantly, and failing miserably I might add.

"Hello kitty," one said smiling horribly and showing his too large teeth. I snarled, the corners of my mouth lifting to show my own fangs. They started to walk towards me, still trying to look casual; I think I fazed them though because they tensed, ready to move at a moments notice.

"It's not kitty," I told them with a growl, taking a few steps from the fence. My tail flickered in the edge of my vision, probably in annoyance; I'm still not used to the stupid thing.

"You look like a kitty cat to me," he shot back menacingly.

"And you look like some ugly mutt," I snarled in response. "But we can all have our good days."

"You're dead kitty!" yelled the touchy Eraser who began to morph.

"Kit!" I hissed, throwing myself forward onto all fours and sprinting towards him. The shock registered on his ugly face, halfway between man and wolf, a half second before we collided. Not nearly enough time. I leapt towards him baring my claws, hitting him in the chest and knocking him over like a skittle. He yelled in pain and surprise as I brought my legs up and dug my claws deep into his stomach. I clung on desperately as he toppled over and was almost thrown off when he crashed to the ground like a tree trunk.

He lay there looking stunned, seeing stars. I didn't pause. I unhooked my claws from his chest and delivered a quick punch between his eyes. Something cracked and his eyes rolled back in his head a trickle of blood flowing out of his muzzle.

I took a deep breath which turned into a hiss of surprise as I dodged a blow from the Erasers buddy that I only just heard coming. I struck out wildly with a forepaw and sliced though his jacket as he leapt backwards and then snapped at his arm as he raised it defensively. He scrabbled at a holster that lay empty at his side and backed away as I untangled myself from his fallen friend.

"Nice kitty?" he said hopefully, trying to smile, something totally ruined by his overlarge canines. Genuine panic shone in his eyes, he wasn't even trying to transform fully. I growled again, tensing to spring and digging my claws further into the unconscious Eraser, fresh blood welling up under my claws.

"N-nice…" he started and then bolted for the door. He got about five paces before I caught up with him, leaping on his back and hooking my claws deep into his flesh. He screamed in terror and then in agony as I bit into his neck. He stumbled and then fell to the ground still screaming for help, I bit down harder and shook him like a doll. Something gave way under my jaws and there was a sickening crack. He stopped struggling and went limp.

I got slowly to my feet, wiping the blood from my mouth and pulling my tail out from under him, how he managed to fall on it I'll never know. There was a yell of rage from the door and I whirled round to see five Erasers rushing towards me. Great. I took a few hesitant steps backwards as they rushed at me, spreading out slightly in order to surround me. A snarl picked up in my mouth as I flicked my head backwards and forwards, trying to keep them all in my field of vision.

I don't know how it happened but somehow I stumbled and lost my footing thanks to my new feet. I landed hard on my butt and hit my head on the fence making the razor wire jingle.

"Shi…" I started then was cut off as the Erasers charged, the middle one drawing ahead of the others and pulling his fist back ready to strike. I threw myself forwards, darting through his legs and lashing out at his calves, my claws tearing through skin and muscle. He bellowed in pain and then toppled over backwards crashing into the ground like a tree trunk. I accelerated away, just avoiding him falling on me. The other Erasers scrambled to turn around as I shot past, one falling over in his haste. It would have almost been comical if they hadn't been trying to kill me.

I came around sharply; digging my claws into the earth to stop myself from overbalancing and then picked the closest Eraser and charged at him. He saw me coming and bared his own claws, still halfway through morphing. I leapt into the air, going for his head. The shock registered on his face and he tried to throw himself out of my way. He managed it; just. My paw clipped his muzzle, gouging out long strips of flesh and sent me spinning out of control, smashing into the ground and rolling over and over.

I lay there for a stunned second and then a dark shape loomed over me. The Eraser kicked me hard in the ribs with a heavy booted foot and the breath rushed out of me. I leapt away from him, rolling on to my front and scrabbling to my feet. He lashed out again, this time aiming for my head. I threw myself to one side and then bit deeply into his leg as he tried to recover his balance, not stopping until I reached bone. He screamed in pain and flailed wildly, trying to shake me off. Something gave and I went skidding away, taking a chunk of his leg with me. I spat it out in disgust, Erasers really don't taste nice.

I heard heavy footfalls from the building and saw another eight Erasers running towards me. This was getting out of hand, not to mention the two now fully Eraserfied ones stalking towards me. I looked round anxiously; the fence was at least twice my height but the only other way out was back into the lab, so fence it was. I caught a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye and saw an Eraser struggling to his feet right by the fence. Maybe I could jump it with a springboard.

One of the Erasers dived at me, his overlarge claws scything through the air. I accelerated away, neatly dodging a kick from his comrade and charged at the rising Eraser. He heard me coming, whipping round and wincing when he put weight on his bleeding legs. He didn't have time to do anything though and didn't even try to, just stood his ground, rage burning in his eyes. No one has ever accused Erasers of being smart.

I hit him hard, digging my claws into his chest and pushing up with all my might. He fell backwards and I soared into the air clearing the razor wire by scant inches and even then nicking my tail on the way down. I hit the ground running, ignoring the bellows of rage from the Erasers, and dashed for the trees. There was a muffled bang from somewhere behind me and something embedded itself in the earth in front of me. 'A dart,' I realised before I'd whipped past it, still accelerating, amazed at just how fast I was running.

I crashed into the forest a few seconds later.

Free.


	2. Break In

Break In 

I crouched in the bushes waiting, watching. The lab squatted on the top of a low hill, somehow managing to seem more sinister than Dracula's castle. Most of the windows were dark but I didn't move. I was cold, wet, hungry, and it had been five days since I escaped this nightmare of a place, but I wasn't even going to try and go home until I'd got Sophie out.

Hours crawled past; I didn't move, just waited for it to get dark enough for me to risk breaking in. There were cameras mounted strategically on all the walls, hopefully they didn't have an infrared setting but even so there was a blind spot running right up to the building every two minutes. So I sat, and waited, and watched.

And ran.

I sprinted out of the bushes; I had about ten seconds to cover two hundred yards. I could do it, I could outrun anything on all fours. The cameras were all pointed in the other direction, I just had to run and I'd be safe.

I past the mid point with about four seconds to go, I should have stretched before I'd started, my legs were half asleep. I ran faster, the building was coming up fast but I couldn't slow down, no time. Three seconds, I was going to make it. I had to make it. Two, the wall was rushing towards me but I could see the cameras swinging back around, couldn't stop. One second.

I dug my claws into the turf to stop myself, skidded, spun round once and hit the wall hard. I pressed myself against the side of the building, looking out towards the forest, gasping for breath. No alarms wailed; no Erasers came out to investigate; the cameras whirred as they continued their slow sweep. I relaxed, taking a deep breath; that had been too close. My back yelled at me for crashing it against a wall as the adrenaline filtered its way out of my system. That was so going to hurt in the morning but I couldn't worry about that just then.

I peeled myself from the wall and inched my way along the side of the building, ducking under the windows. After a little while, I finally found a darkened window and suddenly realised I didn't have a clue how I was going to get in. I ran a claw down the window and barely made a scratch, the frame was plastic so maybe I could rip that off, but then again it wasn't double glazed. I growled slightly, this was going to hurt a lot as well, and balled my fist. I checked where the catch was, pulled back my arm and put my hand through the window.

There was the tinkle of broken glass but nothing else, no alarms, no investigating voices; maybe a silent alarm had been set off though, so I had to move quickly. I opened the window wide and stuck my head in, inhaling deeply and looking around for a camera. There was one; nestling in the shadows above a bookshelf but thankfully it was pointed towards the door.

I slipped into the room, wincing as I realised I'd gashed my hand when I'd broken the window, yet another thing I would have to worry about later. I recognised the room as an office almost immediately, computer, desk, bookshelf, not large but home to… I took a deep draught of the scents in the room, a middle aged woman with two kids, who'd hopefully gone home for the night. But first things first, I climbed up the bookcase and sliced the wire coming out the back of the camera with a claw.

Someone would have noticed that, but hopefully they wouldn't send anyone to fix it for a while. There was light spilling out from under the door and I pressed an ear against it. I couldn't hear anything so I cracked open the door and winced as the light seared my eyes; there are some things I like about having night vision and some things I definitely don't.

I was right, the corridor was deserted and just as bad as I remembered it, bare white walls with constant reek of antiseptic. Fiery pits of damnation have nothing on this. I took a step out and froze; there was a familiar scent in the air. I closed my eyes to concentrate better. There; faint, weak, crisscrossed with other scents but there; two, three days ago tops. I would recognise it anywhere, a mix of dirty feathers, Sophie's own personal scent, and fear, lots of fear.

I growled; she must have been terrified for her scent to stick around for that long; I was going to make them pay for what they did to us. The trail ran both ways down the corridor but it had been far to long to be able to tell which way she had gone, so I picked a direction at random, right, and followed it.

After a few minutes I heard the tread of shoes on tiles and then an angry muttering coming straight at me.

"Fix the camera they say," a voice grumbled, echoing down the corridor. "Sure, pick on the new guy. Heavens forbid I could actually get any work around here."

I looked around frantically, picked the nearest door, and pressed my ear against it, listening for half a second and when I couldn't hear anything flinging it open and rushing inside just in time. I leant against the door and breathed a deep sigh of relief as I heard the footsteps pass and then fade into the distance. I looked around the room, some kind of flashy lab, very sleek, very expensive looking; I could probably cost them millions if I smashed this place. I shouldn't though, seeing as I was on a stealth mission.

It was at that point, I spotted the camera looking right at me. I swore, there was no chance in hell they would just mistake me for a lab worker, what with the fur, fangs and tail. I bolted, ripping open the door and dropping onto all fours to run faster. If I could stay away from the cameras they wouldn't know where to send the Erasers and I could still rescue Sophie.

I tore down the corridor; I just had to find one person in a building full of Erasers and then sneak out without being killed. It was still simple; I just had to keep telling myself that. On cue two Erasers rounded the turn at the end of the corridor and looked at me in surprise for about half a second and then charged, one reaching for a radio. I picked him and accelerated, digging my claws into the tiles and launched myself at the Eraser. I caught him in the chest with one paw and with the other caught him right in middle of his forehead and bore him to the ground.

His head hit the tiles with a crack and his partner yelled in surprise. I didn't stop - new plan: find Soph and run for it. I came to a T junction, took a guess as to which way Sophie's scent went and got lucky. I had to find her; I just had to find her. Suddenly the trail stopped and I skidded to a halt, my claws skittering on the tiles and backed up to where I'd lost her. The trail lead through a door, the door to the cage room if I remembered correctly. I swallowed hard; I never wanted to see that place again but Sophie could be right behind that door.

I slipped into the room, the lights were off but that hardly mattered. The cages were empty, just sitting there waiting for their next occupant. They looked even smaller from the outside; had I really spent two weeks in one of those? I snarled, Sophie wasn't here, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, maybe she had escaped on her own? I smashed my fist against one of the cages in frustration, futile but satisfying. She was probably at the other end of the trail and between us there were a whole facility of Erasers.

I sat down in the middle of the room to think, there were cameras in the room but hopefully they couldn't see in the dark, there must have been a reason they kept the lights on twenty-four seven beyond simple cruelty. I didn't have long, they would look in here sooner or later, it was just common sense that I would come back here. I wondered how heavy those cages were. Quite heavy as I found out when I piled them up in front of the door, though that did mean I had to find another way out.

I found another door at the other end of the room but it just lead into a small storeroom but it was what in the storeroom that was important.

"Finally," I said, with deep relief. "Clothes." I could finally get out of the filthy gown they'd put me in, I'd been wearing my favourite T-shirt when they took us as well, maybe that was here. I dug through the vast piles of clothes scattered around the room. Just how many kids had they done this to and how long had they been doing it for? It was staggering. I found my old clothes at the bottom of a huge pile, my not so lucky anymore black T-shirt and jeans and pulled them on gratefully. I found my school backpack in a heap of others and emptied it onto the floor; it wasn't like I'd ever need my school stuff again anyway.

The main door banged against the cages as someone tried to open it. Time to get out of here. I grabbed Sophie's old clothes and some stuff that looked like it might fit me and cast my eyes around the room. There was a grill near the ceiling that I could probably squeeze through and that was probably my best option. I began unscrewing it carefully with a claw, in the other room I heard the cages shift as someone tried to force the door open. I couldn't hurry though.

The third screw dropped to the floor and I moved on to the last one as the cages toppled in the other room, any second now. The screw fell away as the lights flickered on and I ripped the vent off the wall. I pushed my rucksack through the hole and slipped through after it before resting the cover back on the hole. Hopefully they wouldn't look too closely. Then I dragged myself way away from the grill, it would hardly have been a great escape if my tail had given me away.

"She's not in here!" I heard a gravely voice bellow. Perfect, now I just had to find Sophie and get the hell out of there.


	3. Venting

Venting

It turns out vents are narrower than in movies, but at least I gave the Erasers the slip. Unless of course they were planning something nasty for me but I'd deal with that when it came up. I crawled round yet another corner. My elbows were bruised black and blue and I'd already whacked my head half a dozen times. It turns out tigers were not meant for vents. I groaned as I saw a fan spinning lazily in front of me. That was it; I was getting out of there; besides backing up in a vent is almost impossible.

I looked around, there was a grill to my left but light was filtering through it. I'd just have to risk being caught then; I couldn't stand much longer in the vents anyway. I put my ear to the grill, footsteps, voices, not Eraser though, human, definitely human. I unscrewed the screws, only possible because no one ever thought to cover them from the inside, I'd gotten some quite nasty scratches from some of the others, but this time I was glad of it.

The grill came away and I quietly pulled it into the vent, I could hear the voice more clearly now, someone talking on a cell phone, I recognised the voice and not in a good way, as my hackles rose.

"I don't care how she got away," the voice, a man, snapped. "Just find her." Good, they didn't know where I was. There was a pause then he spoke again.

"Well then, get her out of there. Turn up the fans and blow her out, or something." Okay, maybe they had some idea of where I was.

"Well how was I supposed to know that only works in movies. I'm a geneticist not an air-conditioning repairman."

I dropped out of the vent and landed silently on the tiles, I took one look around the room and realised in horror it was the tank room, the place where they done this to us. I forced myself not to snarl, I wasn't going to give myself away, but if this was the tank room that meant that he was… I took a deep breath for the first time. The room stank of fear, so much fear, how long had they been to this to kids, months, years, decades? It didn't matter, the man who had done this to us was standing right in front of me, it would be so easy to kill him, claw, fang, fist, I could snap him like a twig.

But I had to save Sophie.

"Fine," he barked into his phone. "Just tell me when you get an update on the situation." He snapped the phone shut. "Idiots," he muttered. "Can't they catch one little girl."

I grabbed him, wrenching his arm behind him and sending the phone skittering across the floor, I pinned his other arm to his side and brought my claws to his throat.

"Can you?" I growled. I was so close I could practically taste him, his scent filled my nostrils, I could hear his breathing steady and calm and his heart thudding in his chest. It would be so easy to kill him, but I think he was in charge, he would know where Sophie was.

"Ah," he said slowly. "Kitty, I presume."

"Kit," I corrected menacingly, the Erasers had been calling me that for five days now, and I was sick of it. For a start, I'm a tiger not some kitty cat.

"Ah, you're very much like your sister aren't you?" he asked, his voice still perfectly calm, as if he were the one in control.

"Where is she?" I growled, if he'd laid one hand on her.

"She's dead," he told me simply, heart racing. I dug my claws a little way into his neck.

"No she's not," I said darkly, hearing his heart race. "You're lying. Where is she?"

"Very sharp aren't you my dear." I growled. I'll just assume he wasn't talking about the claws. "We don't know where she is. She's gone to ground; we don't have a lead or a trail." There was definitely a lie in there somewhere but I didn't know where. I'd just have to be wary.

"If you've hurt her…" I began, leaving the rest to his imagination. I would have made a cut throat gesture but that would have involved him dying, horribly. Maybe later.

"She was fine last time I saw her. But what about you? Chest pains, trouble breathing, shooting pain in your limbs?"

"Why the sudden interest in my health," I snarled. "You should really be interested in your health."

"Ah, threats," he said with a slight sigh. "Have we really come to that?" I twisted his arm further behind his back. "So we have. Can I assume from this the rewriting process was a success?"

"I am not just some experiment," I said growling.

"My dear," he said loftily. "You are _the_ experiment. One of the first recoded, and I see you have been enjoying your gift."

"Enjoying," I said, my voice shaking. "Enjoying! I have been on the run for the last five days, you took me and Sophie away from our family, I have blood on my claws, I have been sleeping in a ditch and I have been discovering the joys of eating raw rabbit. Tell me which part I should be _enjoying_." I was snarling with rage at this point, my claws tightening around his throat and pulling his arm further behind his back. I was enjoying that at least.

"Maybe you should be enjoying experiencing something no other human has ever experienced," he suggested, as if this was obvious. My snarl deepened and I pulled harder on his arm, something snapped and suddenly it went limp, he hissed in pain but stayed standing; having claws pressed against your neck keeps you upright.

"Of course," he said raggedly, after a moments pause. "You're not really human any more, are you?"

"I'm still human," I said coldly. That was too far, he was the one that did this to me. Him! He was the monster not me.

"Really my dear. The blood running down my shirt; my almost certainly broken arm; the monster snarling at my back; all say otherwise."

"Are you trying to make me kill you?" I asked slowly, trying to keep my calm. It wasn't like I needed any help killing him anyway.

"No my dear. I'm just trying to keep you talking."

My eyes widened suddenly as I realised what he'd done. The door behind me banged open and the White Coat rammed his head into mine as I tried to slice his throat so I only caught a few layers of skin. I dropped him and whirled, the bastard had pressed a silent alarm. He crumpled to the ground behind me, but I was focused on the Eraser sanding in the door with a long barrelled rifle.

I bared my fangs at him; one of us would have to move first, the gun was pointed at the ground. Maybe I could reach him in time, if I moved first, well no time for second guessing. I charged at him, he was too close to bother going on all fours so I just ran. His eyes widened in shock; that's one thing, the Erasers never expect to be attacked, and he tried to bring the gun up in time. He failed and I crashed into him as he was still raising the gun and tore at his chest with my claws. The gun went off and something bit into my leg, I snarled but kept fighting, hitting open handed across the face.

He fell to the floor with a thud and I stood unsteadily above him facing a corridor full of Erasers, all with guns. I groaned internally, not a snowball's chance in hell. I charged at the closest, well I always planed to go down fighting, something roared and a dart embedded itself in my shoulder. I staggered but kept running, crashing into him rather than pouncing and knocked him to the floor through sheer momentum.

My head swam, I had such a headache. What was I doing again? There was an Eraser beneath me, I blinked and suddenly there were two swimming around each other. I batted at one of them but my claws caught air. The images reached up and abruptly something smashed into the side of my head. I collapsed and lay on the floor. I was sure there was something I was supposed to do, but I was so tired, I couldn't remember.

I closed my eyes, just a little nap, what harm could it do?


	4. Break Out

Break Out

"See you in the morning Kit," a voice said, hazy and indistinct and a door clicked shut.

I moaned softly, rolled over and threw up. Every inch of me ached. What the hell had happened? Suddenly I remembered and I flung my hand to my shoulder where I felt a small hole in my T-shirt. The dart was gone. It must have been full of tranquilisers. They'd been shooting those things at me since I escaped, but that was the first time they'd actually hit me.

I cracked open my eyes and then had to check they were actually open, the room was completely black. How long had I been out? There was no way of telling, I'd had a watch before they'd taken us but it hadn't been with my other stuff. I knew I'd been hit with two darts but how much had been in them? If just one had enough to knock out an adult human then I could have been out days. Then again, I wasn't really human anymore, was I.

I sat up and banged my head on something hard. Ow, let me guess. I ran my hand along the bars surrounding me, another cage. Very original. I took a deep breath now to find out where I was and shuddered as the scent of fear and death overwhelmed me. Still in the tank room, close to where the White Coat worked. How on earth could that White Coat work in here? He was the real monster, not me.

I felt around my cage, there had to be a lock somewhere and I was not waiting around for the White Coat to come back. After a moment I found it, a solid block of metal built into the cage, I tried to get my hand through the bars but they were too close. I growled in frustration and shook the bars, I was not going to be caged again, I needed to find Sophie and get out of this hell hole.

I wrenched on one of the bars and felt it give slightly, odd, especially as it was about as thick as my wrist. I ran my hand along the bars again, even if I bent them as far as possible I wouldn't be able to slip out, this cage was several sizes to small for me, but maybe. I grabbed the bars above the lock, if I could bend these far enough I could reach the lock, and I did have an inbuilt set of lock picks.

I braced myself against the side of the cage and strained against the bars, for a second nothing happened, I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, but the bars didn't move. Maybe I'd just imagined the bar bending, maybe these ones were too short to bend. There was the sound of tortured metal and slowly, ever so slowly the bars moved.

I stopped as soon as I thought I could fit my hand through the gap and started groping around for the keyhole. After a moment I found it, now how did they do this in the movies? I felt around inside the lock with a claw, a tumbler lock, so if I remembered correctly I just had to push up all the pins.

It turns out it helps if you try to turn the lock while picking it, which I discovered about half an hour and a blunted claw later. The door swung open and I slipped out, staying on all fours to move more quietly. I needed to find the way out and find Sophie, or at least find out where she might have gone. I trusted that White Coat about as far as I could throw him but I was fairly sure he was telling the truth about that at least.

I walked forward and felt a subtle change in the air around my whiskers. Now what did that mean? I took another step forwards and banged my head into the desk. Ah, that's what it meant. I sidestepped around the desk and found something smelling of me in front of me, my rucksack; that would be useful. I kept walking straight until I felt a wall in front of me and then stood up, felling my way around the edge of the room by running a hand along the wall.

Four corners later I found a change in texture, which hopefully meant I had found the door and groped around for a light switch. After a moment I found it, the lights flickered on and I shielded my eyes. Again the problem with night vision. The door had a key code lock, which I had absolutely no chance of cracking, anyway I wasn't in the mood for messing around. I dug my claws into the casing and tore the number pad off the wall exposing the circuitry underneath.

Did I know anything about hardwiring doors? No. Did I know that no-one in their right mind would have a lock that would trap them in the room if it broke? Yes. Admittedly the White Coats weren't entirely in their right minds but I always had the vents if it didn't work. I ripped the wires to shreds and low and behold the door hissed open.

The two Erasers standing guard were very surprised when the door opened.

"What the…" the one on my left started to say, turning to face me. But I caught him a right hook to the head and he went sprawling.

"Hey!" the other exclaimed, going for a tazer attached to his belt. I didn't even hesitate, just caught him in the throat with my claws and tore out his windpipe. He went down twitching and I leapt over him, dropping onto all fours and running left down the corridor. Someone would find them soon. I had to get out of there.

I rounded a corner and found myself at the end of a long corridor, a lone Eraser guard at the other end. He yelled in rage when he saw me and started to morph. Did I know him? The four angry red lines across his face certainly said we'd met. I accelerated towards him, I couldn't slow down and I couldn't let him alert anyone else.

He didn't take out his gun, just braced himself, he must have been planning something but there was no time to consider what. I pounced, spreading my claws wide and aiming for his chest. He ducked, grabbed my wrists as I flew over and flung me at the ground.

I hit the floor hard, rolling head over tail until I hit the wall at the end of the corridor. Yep, I realised lying upside down against the wall and looking at him down the length of the corridor. I'd met him before. I leapt to my feet growling, so he knew how I attacked; well let's see how he handled this.

I stood up, bearing my claws, and stalked slowly towards him. He copied me. We approached each other warily, I could win this, he was just a dumb wolf, all alone, easy prey. I charged, aiming low and swiping at his kidneys, he dodged backwards, flailing wildly with a paw, which I ducked easily.

"Hold still you dumb Kitty," he growled, rushing at me claws flailing. I sidestepped and tore at his arm as he past.

"Not Kitty," I growled, as he turned to face me. We leapt at each other, locking claws, our faces a bare inch from each other. I could smell his rancid breath and see the rage in his eyes.

"Kit," I snarled.

He growled back, showing his canines, I bared my own fangs. It was a deadlock, neither of us could move, I strained against his arms and he strained against mine, it would just be a matter of stamina. I hooked my claws and dug deep into his paws. Or not. He winced, and redoubled his growl, his spittle flicking into my face. Well if that was how he wanted to play it. I opened my mouth and roared, spreading my fangs wide and feeling the sound vibrating through my whole body. That felt good, I should roar more often.

The Eraser flinched backwards and took the pressure off my paws, a fatal move. I swept his legs out from under him and twisted my arms, flinging him against the wall. His head hit with a sickening crack and he slid to the floor, leaving a bloody smear on the wall. I snarled at his unconscious form, and then realised someone would have heard that roar. Damn it.

I leapt over him and dropped on to all fours, so long stealth, now it was time to leg it. I took the first left I came to and found myself outside the cage room, finally some luck. I picked up Sophie's trail with ease, it had been muddied by a load of Erasers but it was still, for lack of a better word, legible. I growled; when I found out who had made her so scared, I would kill them.

I took a left at the T-junction, still on Soph's trail. An alarm started wailing in the distance, they must have found those downed Erasers. A corner loomed in front of me and I skidded round it, ignoring a yell of surprise as I slipped past an Eraser running the other way. It was too late to worry about being found, I just had to get out.

Sophie's trail ended abruptly again and I slid to a stop, there was a key coded door in front of me but I just ripped the lock apart and the door hissed open. I ran into the room which I recognised as the cloakroom they put me in originally. Did that mean they'd put Sophie in her own combat cage. That was a horrible thought, Sophie didn't even swat flies, she would have hated to hurt anyone else.

I smashed the other lock off the wall and the outside door opened and I started running away from the building, still following Soph's trail. There was disturbed earth either side of me, sort of like a corridor; I had no idea what they'd been doing to her but she was scared, and angry, very angry.

Suddenly her trail faded away at exactly the same time the corridor of earth ended, there was blood in the ground beneath me, but it smelled more Eraser'y than Sophie'y, or at least that's what I hoped. I stopped and walked slowly back down the trail. The scent of feathers was stronger here and I don't think she doubled back and that left one explanation. I looked into the sky. She didn't like those wings but I bet she could have flown on them and if that was true she almost certainly escaped those stupid landlocked Erasers.

"That a girl Soph," I said, looking at the stars. A torch beam roved across the ground a few feet away. I looked round to see Erasers swarming out of the building. Oh well, time to get out of here.

I run off into the forest, maybe I could find somewhere comfy to sleep, all this running was taking it out of me. Anyway, I could rest easy now. I didn't know where Sophie was but I at least knew she wasn't at the lab. And in all honesty I can't think of a worse place to be.


	5. Homeward Bound

Homeward Bound

I woke slowly and stretched, digging my claws into the branch beneath me and lashing my tail backwards and forwards to keep my balance. The rucksack on my back shifted and I slipped, yelling in surprise and driving my claws into the branch in an attempt to stay in the tree and failed miserably. I slid off my branch just managing to cling on by the tips of my fingers and ended up dangling far too high above the ground. Now that was a promising way start to the day.

I looked down at the ground thirty feet and some nasty looking branches below. It had seamed a good idea to sleep in a tree at the time; less chance of being found by the Erasers, but now it seemed far less sensible and much, much higher. The branch above me groaned as my claws scored deep gouges in the wood and I dropped lower.

I started swinging, trying to build up the momentum to reach the trunk; at least I knew that would take my weight. My claws slipped, I lost my grip and threw myself at the trunk crashing into the tree, knocking the wind out of me and clinging on to the bark for dear life. I hung there for a stunned second and confirmed that I wasn't plummeting to my death, and then took a shaky breath. Well, so much for the grace of cats; I drove my hind claws into the bark and unwrapped my arms from the trunk before hooking my claws into the wood. Finally I felt secure. Boy I was glad no one had seen that.

I climbed down slowly, paw over paw, I would have rather not plummeted to the ground and broken every bone in my body, or worse alert the Erasers as to where I was. I planted both feet firmly on the ground and looked around, okay so it wasn't really the start of the day, more late afternoon but then I had been dodging Eraser search parties until dawn.

I couldn't hear anything, there was a squirrel chitterling high above me, but nothing relevant, and I'll just assume the squirrel wasn't laughing at me. I did a slow sweep of the area, checking more for movement than anything else but nothing unusual there either. They could always be wearing camouflage but if they moved I'd see them. Besides, Erasers and stealth don't really mesh.

After a minute I let myself relax, I'd had too many close shaves recently to relax completely but my claws slid back into their sheaths which for me is pretty relaxed. I suddenly realised that I didn't have a clue what to do; Sophie wasn't in the lab, I suppose I could look for her but if she really could fly she could be anywhere by now, maybe she'd even gone home.

That was probably the best place to look, that was where she'd been saying she'd wanted to go for that first week, then of course they gave her wings and then she didn't say anything at all. I found that I was growling. How could they do something like that? He'd called it a gift. Ha! If it was such gift why didn't he ask for volunteers or just do it to himself. I lashed out at the tree and left deep gouges in the bark, letting the rumble in my throat fade to nothing. That made me feel a little better, I'd been so close to killing him too. Just a fraction of an inch deeper and he'd have been done for.

So it was a choice; go home and try and find Soph or go back to the lab and kill White Coats. Considering that going back to the lab would probably get me killed or worse captured, it was really a no brainier. I picked the direction the opposite way to the lab and started walking. So, a review of the situation. I didn't know which way home was or even where I was and for all I knew I could be in China. Oh, and I was still a tiger-human hybrid and showing my face in any towns would probably get me put in a zoo. Not exactly the best set of circumstances but none of those things were bothering me just now and I wasn't in the lab so I have, quite literally known worse.

My more immediate problem was walking; in case you didn't know tigers walk on their toes so trying to walk upright is like trying to constantly walk on tiptoes; which is definitely an acquired skill and doesn't exactly make you graceful. I tripped over a tree root and landed in the dirt, and yeah that kind of thing happens a lot.

I growled to myself and kept on walking on all fours, it was just easier, I think I'm more set up for that kind of thing now anyway. My stomach grumbled loudly, reminding me that my last meal was three days ago when I'd raided those Erasers' packs, that wasn't really something I wanted to risk again so I kept my eyes out for anything edible, though without much luck beyond the occasional squirrel high above my head.

I reached a road running through the forest around nightfall and followed it, sticking to the shadows. A few cars thundered past but there was no way I'd be hitchhiking, for a start I'd get a monster movie done about me. As it got darker I drifted away from the road, the car headlights were hurting my eyes and destroying my night vision.

I stalked through the forest; I knew there weren't any Erasers about; there were just the sounds of the forest and the wind whistling in the trees high above. My paws crunched on the dry earth, and I skirted my way round a dense patch of thicket, I could still hear the roar of the cars in the distance but they hardly mattered anymore it was just me and the forest.

There was the faintest sound of a hoof-fall to my left in the distance and my head whipped round. I hunkered down slightly and scanned the forest, one, twice, three times. Nothing. There was a tiny flicker of movement and I latched onto it, something hidden in the shadows of a tree. I dropped lowed, almost on my stomach and breathed deeply.

I didn't recognise the scent but I did recognise the shape, a deer, a stag even as I realised when it shook its antlers and looked right at me. I backed off slowly. Could it see me? I knew deer were active at dusk but how good was their eyesight, maybe it could smell me? The stag began to walk away and out of the shadows a female followed it. I guess they must have missed me, stripes aren't exactly best in a forest but they work, of course I did have a big black rucksack on my back and that can't have helped.

I watched silently as five more does followed the first and then when I judged they were out of earshot I took off my backpack and placed it quietly against a tree, then slipped off after the deer. I didn't follow their trail exactly but always kept them in view, never too close, never too far and I knew enough about how animals tracked to keep down wind.

I didn't have to follow them for long; soon they stopped at a small stream and started to drink. I crept closer and hunkered down in a bush. Tigers are really meant to hunt in grass but bushes work okay too. I crouched lower, just watching, waiting, waiting for some cue to tell me it was time to pounce. I picked out one of the does standing a little way away from the others, perfect target, my ears pricked forwards and I dropped down readying myself to pounce.

The doe looked up suddenly and I sprinted out of the bushes, took three silent steps and leapt at the doe paws and jaws wide. The wind shifted, I could literally feel it change, the doe caught my scent and leapt backwards, eyes wide and I sailed past it and splashed into the stream, snarling in frustration.

I spun around, the does were bolting but the stag stood its ground, lowering its antlers and snorting defensively. I leapt without a thought and the stag caught me on its antlers and tossed me to one side. I rolled over and over and finally came to rest against a tree. Okay, now that was really dumb. I got slowly to my feet and looked daggers at the stag. The does were long gone so if I was going to have a meal tonight it had to be him.

I sided stepped, showing my fangs, my instincts were yelling at me to get out of there and reminding me just how much getting thrown against a tree hurts. I ignored them, I was hungry, tired and I'd been the hunted for far too long. I crouched low and mimed pouncing. The stag flinched, snorting, rolling its eyes wildly and shifting its weight from hoof to hoof. It looked very scared and completely unsure of itself but when had it ever been up against a large bipedal tiger before?

Now that was an idea.

I got slowly to my feet, never taking my eyes from the stag which was looking even more wide eyed at me, it went to bolt and I jerked forward. It froze, keeping its antlers pointed at my head. I smiled, that was its fatal mistake. I leapt forward and landed on all fours just in front of it, the stag tried to smash its antlers into me but I darted between its legs, took its hind leg in my jaws and bit down hard. I felt something go crunch, the stag screamed in pain and tried to lash out at me but I scurried away from it.

I stood a little way off and watched the stag try to turn to face me while keeping its weight of its bloody leg. I waited until it was halfway round and then pounced, digging my claws into its flank and bearing it to the ground. We crashed to earth with a thud and I immediately went for the throat, feeling the vertebrae beneath my teeth and squeezed. The stag kicked desperately and tried to shake me off, I bit down harder, I wasn't letting it go. It made a choking sound and thrashed one last time then was still.

I let go and breathed deeply. My ribs ached and the blood was pounding in my ears but I'd made my kill, my first kill if you didn't count that rabbit. What the heck, that hadn't just been exciting, that had been fun.

I took the stag in my jaws and began to drag it away.


	6. Bravery

Bravery

It was morning, the birds were singing, the sun was shining, I was full for the first time in a month and I was slowly wakening, curled up beneath a tree. A stick snapped beneath a booted foot and I jolted awake, straining to hear where the sound had come from. The bushes to my left rustled and I shot up the nearest tree. Yes I'm a scaredy-cat but I'm a live scaredy-cat. I crouched in the braches, looking down at the clearing and just waiting for something to appear.

Suddenly I realised my backpack was lying unattended by a tree and I groaned. That was bad. That was very bad, if the Erasers knew I was around they'd blanket the whole area and I'd never be able to sneak down. A kid walked into the clearing, well I say kid, he was probably a few years older than me, maybe as much as sixteen but I've never seen a child Eraser so I relaxed slightly, maybe if I stayed quiet he would just wander off and if I was very lucky he may even miss my backpack.

Not a chance, my luck ran out a month ago anyway. I saw him frown as he spotted my rucksack and look around. I didn't move, I hardly breathed. What would I do if he saw me; maybe I was high enough that he'd just mistake me for a regular person.

"Hello up there!" he yelled and I jumped and grabbed my tail, stuffing it into my shirt in an attempt to look more normal. Okay so I just had to get him to go away, no problem, hopefully he couldn't tell how weird I was from down there.

"You okay?" he asked, well nothing for it now.

"Yes!" I called back, hoping that my voice still at least sounded human and I didn't growl too much.

"You sure?" he asked, apparently not noticing that I was talking through a muzzle. "There are big cat tracks all over this place and there's a deer carcass back there." He pointed over his shoulder and I groaned again, I so should have been more discrete.

"Oh, is that why you're up there?" he said sudden realisation spreading across his face.

"No I…" I began and desperately tried to come up with a reason I might be up a tree at seven in the morning. "Like. Climbing. Trees…?" I said petering out. As you can see I failed miserably. What the hell was wrong with me? I get crossed with a tiger and suddenly lose the ability to talk. Actually that's not that surprising; but still annoying.

"Like climbing trees," he echoed sceptically. "You're stuck aren't you?"

"No!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of; lots of people are scared of heights."

"I'm not scared!" I protested. My strategy of getting him to go away quietly was failing spectacularly but at least it couldn't get any worse.

"Besides," he continued. "If you were hiding from that cat then you should know that they can easily climb trees." You know, I may well have known that.

"Actually," he said, stepping closer to the tree and running a hand down it. "It looks like something has climbed this tree." I winced, regretting digging in my claws so deep. That was it; the game was up, unless of course there was some massive distraction.

An Eraser walked into the clearing beneath the tree. Fate hates me, that's it isn't it? And I'm pretty sure I said I couldn't get any worse a few moments ago as well.

"What's going on here lad?" the Eraser asked walking up to the kid, he was trying to sound placating but it didn't fool me, I could hear the growled undertone.

"Oh, just some crazy girl stuck in a tree," the kid muttered to the Eraser. The Eraser looked up, looking right at and grinned viciously.

"Any idea who she is?" the Eraser asked pulling out a gun from a holster at his waist. I leapt to my feet, digging in my claws to keep my balance, I could reach some of the other trees from here if I jumped or maybe I could hide behind the trunk and make a dash for the ground, either way I was not dieing huddled in a tree. It never occurred to me to warn the kid.

"Not a clue," the kid said resignedly, oblivious to the Eraser raising a gun to his head. "I just found her like this."

The Eraser cocked the gun and I leapt out of the tree aiming right at him. It was only twenty five feet or so, I'd live, cats just from ceiling height and are just fine. It was only five times my height and, oh yeah, I wasn't totally a cat. The kid's eyes widened in horror as I fell, baring my fangs and brandeshing my claws and the Eraser desperately tried to aim the gun at before I hit. I landed with a paw on each of his shoulders and he crumpled, the gun thundered and a blinding pain seared through my leg.

We hit the ground hard and dug my hind claws into his chest to stay on top of him. I tried not to yell in pain, every join screamed from the jolt of landing and my leg was total agony. The Eraser scrabbled for his gun lying slightly to one side, while morphing and showing his own overlarge fangs to match mine. Wrong move, I ripped his throat out with one swipe of my paw.

He gasped, eyes widening in shock, trying to gasp a breath through something that wasn't there. I watched him die; he was actually going to shoot that kid simply because he'd talked to me. Despicable creatures.

I heard the gun cock and I looked round slowly to see the kid pointing it at me, eyes wild.

"Don't move," he said, looking panicky. "What ever you are, don't move."

"He was going to shoot you," I told him darkly. "Why else did he have the gun already out." I didn't add the obvious, to shoot me. He probably figured out that out for himself. Confusion flittered across his face and his eyes darted to the Eraser who was slowly changing to half wolf and half man.

"Who the hell are you people?" he asked, his voice cracking. The gun shook in his hand and I prayed he'd put the safety on.

"Look calm down and put the gun down," I said uneasily, trying to put weight on my leg and gasping when it screamed in pain. Actually that probably just gave him a great view of my teeth, but that couldn't be helped. "There are going to be more of those coming soon and I assume you don't want to be here when they get here."

Confusion and fear flashed across his face again. "He was really going to kill me?" he asked with a bit more composure.

"Well, yeah."

"Okay." He put the gun and then turned round, probably to run like heck. I shifted off the Eraser, trying not to put weight on my foot and suddenly realised the kid was shouldering my rucksack.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I began but then he cut me off by putting his shoulder under my arm and lifting me to my feet.

"Like you said," he said, pulling me back the way he had come. "There will be more coming, let's get out of here."

"You're helping me?" I asked bewildered as we hobbled off into the forest as fast as we could, if I was him I'd be running for my life by now.

"Don't make me regret it," he grunted. "Good grief, how much do you weigh." I didn't answer that; for one, it's not polite to ask and two, I didn't have a clue.

I heard heavy footfalls in the distance, not heading for us but it was only a matter of time before they started searching. Erasers without windpipes tend to spark curiosity. I speed up, my leg was agony and I could swear I could feel the bullet shifting around in my leg. I was almost certain it was broken but where the hell do I go for first aid, A and E or a vet?

I heard the bushes rustle behind us, a lot of Erasers coming straight for us. Shit, how did they know which way we'd gone? I looked back and swore for real, a thin trail of blood lead from my leg all the way back the way we'd come.

"What, what is it?" the kid asked looking round, I have no idea how he could of missed the sound of the Erasers getting very close then again my hearing had improved a lot.

"They're coming," I said with a growl. I turned and tired to stand and had to drop into a crouch when my leg screamed. "Go," I told him, I wasn't going to let the Erasers kill him. "Just run and don't stop."

"But," he began.

"Go!" I roared. He hesitated a moment then bolted. I breathed deeply; well at least I'd die with a clean conscience. My leg throbbed. So this was how it was going to end, a sitting duck, actually, more a crouching tiger. I bared my claws, well if I was going down I was going to take a few of them with me. Then suddenly the bullet popped out of my leg.

I looked at it in surprise and my hand shot to my leg where I literally felt the skin knitting under my fingers. What the hell was going on? Some kind of ultra fast healing; well what ever it was it was damn useful.

An Eraser burst out of the bushes, took one look at me crouching on the floor clasping a blooded leg, grinned evilly and charged, morphing slightly a baring his claws. I didn't move, just shifted my weight slightly and lashed my tail behind me. I wonder if he knew that was a warning sign.

He leapt at me, I ducked under him planting my hands on his chest and throwing over my head. He hit the ground and slid several feet finally coming to rest against a tree. I whipped round, ran over and hit him as hard as I could on the back of the head as he tried to look up. Something went crack and he slumped back into the dirt, unconscious.

I heard another running towards me, just about to come through a bush. I started running at the sound and, without even looking pounced. The Eraser came through the bush and I hit him in the chest, swiping at him with a paw and bearing him to the ground.

We crashed to the ground and I clung on desperately with my claws, took his throat in my jaws and before he could blink, tore. Three more Erasers burst into the clearing, my head whipped round and I growled, spitting out a lump of Eraser flesh. It turns out there are things that make even an Eraser balk because they looked in horror at me for half a second and in that half second I struck.

I tore into the Erasers, hitting one across the face with bared claws, darting around a hastily aimed punch, smashing my fist in the side of one's head and he dropped like a rock then kicked out at another, tearing a deep gouge in his stomach. The first Eraser, the one who had his hand clutched over a gaping wound grabbed my arm and tried to pull me close. My eyes narrowed and I sunk my claws deep into his arm. He didn't let go, I growled and dug my claws in deeper. He snarled back and something hit me over the back of the head, I saw stars and dropped to my knees stunned; not loosening my death grip on the Erasers arm.

"Get this bloody thing off me!" he yelled at his partner and I, blinked rapidly, trying to clear my swimming vision. This would have been a great time for some supper healing to kick in but nothing happened, I would just have to do it on my own. I wrenched my arm out of his grip and bit deeply into his leg, still watching the world through a haze. He yelled in pain and shock, and I pulled his legs out from under him, letting go just before my jaw was ripped from my mouth and then knocked him out with a solid punch to the temple.

I rounded on the last Eraser growling, he shifted his weight slightly.

"I suppose you think," he began but I ignored him and struck, slicing through his arm with one hand and then swiping his across the face with the other. He staggered backwards and I smashed him round the head with a closed fist and watched him collapse growling.

I watched him for a second but he didn't get back up, none of them did. I breathed deeply and checked out the damage, nothing much, there was an egg forming on the back of my head but other than that I was fine. Not bad for someone who'd just been shot.

I set off in the direction that kid went, he was bound to be legging it for home and if it was a town I might just be able to get directions. Maybe even finally start on making my way home.


	7. Shattered Lives

Shattered Lives 

I reached the top of a small hill at the edge of the forest and looked down at the town, it wasn't exactly big, I could see the other side from here; but it would be full of people and I wanted to avoid them as much as possible. Maybe I could disguise myself, of course it would help a lot if had anything that could cover my face, hands and just about everything else or still had feet capable of wearing shoes. I was going to stand out a mile whatever I did and I didn't look enough like a tiger to pass as one of them either, though that would hardly make me inconspicuous, besides when was the last time you saw a tiger wearing jeans.

I shook my head and sighed, I all honesty I didn't want to go anywhere near humans, someone could get hurt and Erasers look all too human before they start trying to rip various limbs off and; well, after the White Coats I wasn't going to be trusting anyone anytime soon. Also, when did I start referring to humans in the third person? I dropped onto all fours and started walking towards the town, it didn't matter what I wanted to do, I needed directions beyond that of 'in America somewhere', and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

I reached a garden wall at the edge of the town and leapt over, keeping to the shadows and shrubs at the bottom of someone's yard. I just wouldn't let anyone see me; it was the simplest way. I just had to find the town name and maybe state and work from there. I was under no illusions about asking anyone for help or even going to the police; the Erasers would tear through them like tissue paper, whoever I asked.

I squeezed under a fence. There really was no one I could turn to, it's funny but through out your life there is always someone who you at least think can solve all your problems. But now, there really was no one. I vaulted another wall and landed in about three foot high grass. Geese, whoever lived there had obviously never heard of a lawnmower, then again maybe the lawn had eaten it.

I heard a door slam and I whipped round dropping into the grass and looking intently at the house. Nothing moved; no one came out; so it was just the front door then. I relaxed slightly; I can't believe how jumpy I've gotten later, then again I've been dodging Erasers for a week so it might be justified.

An Eraser vaulted over the gate at the side of the house. I looked at him in shock for a half second and dropped flat into the grass, slinking backwards to hide in the shadows of a tree. He didn't appear to notice me, score one for stripes, and he turned to unlocked the gate letting two more Erasers into the garden. Something was wrong, if they'd known where I was they should have come in all guns blazing, or at least they should have learned to by now. The Erasers snuck along the wall of the house and one put his fist through the glass in the back door. They weren't even looking for me. Why? Unless, they weren't after me.

I crept forwards, keeping low, if the Erasers were interested in this place I was. The lead Eraser opened the door and gestured for the other two to follow him. Just as the last Eraser was about to go in I ran forwards, leapt lightly onto his back, put my hand over his mouth to smother his yell of surprise and hit him as hard as I could over the head. I leapt off and caught him as he collapsed unconscious, lowing him gently to the ground without a sound.

I pressed up against the wall listening for the other two Erasers, a door opened inside the house. Apparently they hadn't heard anything. That means either I'm getting better or the Erasers are getting dumber. I slipped through the door, dodging round the broken glass, no shoes remember, and froze as I heard raised voices.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a voice yelled, which I recognised as the kid from earlier. Damn it! They must have followed him after all.

"As we said," an Eraser growled. "We want to talk about something you saw in the woods today." I crept closer and looked through an open door to see the kid facing down two Erasers along the length of the hall. Brave kid.

"And I told you I didn't see anything," he shot back. "Now why are you in my house?" I winced; there was no way this was going to end well.

"I think you did," the Eraser said threateningly, taking a few steps forward and towering over the kid who backed away. I slipped through the door and snuck up behind the second Eraser, completely silent on my pads.

"I think you saw some monster in the woods," the Eraser continued menacingly. "That's why we saw you fleeing like a scared little rabbit with your tail between your legs."

"I didn't see anything!" he roared, finally losing his temper. "Now get out of my house!" I took the opportunity to hit the other Eraser over the head while the first was distracted and lowered him slowly to the ground.

"Oh, I think you did," the Eraser said putting his face right up to the kids; I walked up silently behind him. "And it looked just like a monstrous kitty cat didn't it?" The kids eyes flickered and the Eraser grinned triumphantly.

"Excuse me," I said tapping him on the shoulder. He whirled and I hit him right in the jaw, watching as he dropped like a rock. "It's Kit."

"You," the kid said in surprise, then. "Weren't you shot?"

"I got better," I said briskly, I wasn't even going to try and explain that, even if I could. "You should get out of here. Is there anyone else in the house?"

A door opened behind me, conveniently answering my question, I heard footsteps and a little girl ask. "Michael, what's going on?"

I half turned and something crashed into my leg squealing, "Kitty," delightedly.

"Kit, "I said with a sigh. "Is this yours?" I asked the kid, Michael I guess, pointing at the young girl hugging my leg tightly.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, untangling her from my leg and lifting her into his arms. "Amy likes cats."

"Whatever." I guess I should start getting used to this 'Kitty' stuff but I was called that enough before I was turned into a tiger and it was just as annoying back then.

"Look," I said turning my attention back to Michael. "Just call the police and find a place to lay low for a while, if they think you know something about me they are not going to give up easily."

"I can stay with my uncle's," he offered and I nodded in agreement.

"Good, watch out though they're pretty persistent. Oh, and you also still have my backpack."

"Right," he said putting Amy down and rushing past me. "It's in the kitchen.

"A map would be useful too," I called after him. Amy snatched at my tail and I flicked her with it and followed after Michael.

"Where are your parents anyway?" I asked walking into the kitchen and dodged out of the way as he bustled past me flinging my rucksack at me which I caught with ease and slung over my shoulder.

"They're at work," he replied hurriedly, rushing upstairs.

"So why aren't you at school?" I yelled after him but I don't think he heard me.

"Because it's Saturday stilly," Amy said brightly, trying to get behind me to go for my tail again.

"Hey," I said defensively. "I've been hiding in the woods for a week, so don't get clever with me." She made another grab for my tail and I lifted it out of her reach. "And stop doing that!"

"Sorry Kitty," she said trying to look cute.

"Kit," I told her automatically and felt guilty for yelling at her. Michael came running down the stairs and shoved a map into my hands.

"There," he said hastily. "You should get out of here I'll be calling the police in a moment."

"Okay," I said, stuffing the map into my backpack. "Oh, and do you have any bottles of water?" What? It can take hours to find something to drink when you're in a forest.

"In the fridge," he said with a sigh. "But is that really the most…" I cut him off by opening the fridge wide and pulling out six bottles of water.

"Fine," he said resignedly. "Who are you anyway?"

"I said," I said as I started packing the bottles into my bag. "I'm Kit."

"Yeah but what are you? I mean, you look like something halfway between a human and a tiger. So what does that make you a were-cat?"

"Well it's really a matter of less you know the less it will hurt you" I said with a sigh. "But I guess I'm a human tiger hybrid now. I wasn't born like this so watch out for strangers with syringes and wolf men in the woods." I paused as I zipped up my bag and waited for another question which didn't come. "Also, you're not responding and I've just talked over any chance of me hearing anyone sneaking up on us."

I stood up, leaving my bag on the floor, and looked the Eraser with a gun to Michael's head and a hand over Amy's mouth right in the eyes.

"Smart kitty," he growled, glaring at me, the four pinpoints on his cheek which I'd made when I put my hand over his mouth oozing slightly.

"Not kitty. Kit," I said calmly, taking a step towards him.

"Don't move," he ordered and he cocked the gun. I froze, I might get away with being shot again, as long as it wasn't too serious but I wasn't going to let anyone else die for me.

"Just come along quietly," he continued his voice dead steady. "And I won't have to shoot the kid and the little girl." His eyes flickered slightly, uncertainty perhaps.

"And what will happen to them?" I asked darkly, guessing the answer.

"Oh, they'll be coming along too." Yep, just what I expected. I took another step forwards.

"I don't think you'll do it," I told him, ignoring the look of disbelief on Michaels face. He'd thank me if he ever found out just how bad the place they'd be taking him to was, hopefully he wouldn't.

"Oh, I'll do it," he said, tightening his grip on the pistol.

"No you won't. You won't kill them. People will get suspicious. And you can't just make them disappear. Two young kids, parents, friends, the whole state will be looking for them. So kidnap's out of the question as well." I carefully omitted that that was exactly they had done with me and Sophie.

I took another step forwards. The gun wavered in his grip as he went to point it at me then swung it back towards Michael. "Not one step," he growled, uncertainly, his eyes darting around the room.

I crouched down slightly, unsheathed my claws and sprung. He looked at me in horror as I leapt at him, tired to bring the gun round in time and failed miserably. I crashed into him swiping him across the face with a powerful paw, the gun roared and window shattered, Michael dragged Amy to the floor and I bore the Eraser to the ground where I dispatched him with a quick punch to the temple.

"What the hell where you thinking!" Michael yelled when the tickle of glass had faded away.

"I worked didn't it," I said, getting off the Eraser and getting to my feet.

"We could have been killed," he cried desperately.

"Welcome to my world," I muttered, walking over and slinging my backpack back over my shoulder. "I should get out of here; some considerate neighbour will have called the police about the gunshot."

"But, but, but," he stammered. "How do I explain that?" He pointed at the Eraser with four parallel gashes running across his face.

"Don't be here," I suggested shrugging. I heard the wailing of sirens in the distance. "I really need to be going. Right now," I added as he went to ask another question. I ran over to the door and paused then said, "Thanks by the way. For helping."

I leapt onto all fours and started running, springing over the garden wall and leaving Michael standing stunned at the door.


	8. Feathered Fiends

Feathered Fiends

I leant against a tree at the edge of the forest, hopefully concealed by a large bush and unfurled the map. I quickly found where I was; it helped that I'd snuck a look at a road sign on my way out and then scanned the map for my home town. There was the forest, looking much smaller on paper when I wasn't being chased through it. No sign of the lab, but I wasn't really expecting that to appear on a road map. After far too long I spotted my home town hiding in the top right hand corner and resignedly measured the distance. Five thumbs and a claw so about… I consulted the scale, one hundred and ten miles.

I groaned, and that was as the bird flies. Good grief that would take me a week; and it wasn't like I could get a lift so I'd be walking the whole way. Actually now that I thought of it a compass would have been useful but it was too late for that now, and I couldn't just go back and ask for one.

I stuffed the map into my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. All in all it wasn't such a bad situation. I had water, I had a map and food wasn't going to be an issue so now I just had to find Soph and then… Well I'd deal with that when I got there.

Speaking of getting there, I set off, walking upright to stay in practice; I never thought I'd have to say that. I'd follow the roads and maybe cut across a few fields if I felt confident until I figured out some way of finding north. I knew there was some trick involving the sun and your watch but I couldn't remember it, and didn't have a watch. I shook my head, sighed and concentrated on keeping my feet.

Midday found me dozing in the sun on the corrugated iron roof of a barn. Not the most comfortable place ever but it was warm and I was tired, plus I think real tigers are supposed to have grown a winter coat by this time of the year and my fur was still quite short. I hadn't even thought to grab a coat. There were hundreds of coats in the lab, why didn't I pick one up?

A cloud passed over the sun; I shivered, opened my eyes and irritably regarded the thick black bank of clouds creeping slowly over my head. Perfect, now I wasn't going to be able to go any farther because I'd get soaked. I grabbed my backpack from where I'd been using it as a pillow, slipped it on and took another anxious look at the clouds. How long did I have to find shelter? Maybe only a couple of minutes; I should have listened to my instincts.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky and I winced as the thunder rumbled. A flock of six birds was briefly silhouetted against the clouds. Probably trying to get back to their nests before the storm broke and I couldn't blame them. A second bolt of lightning flashed above my head and a tingling spread across my feet, in retrospect standing on a metal roof in a thunderstorm was not a good idea.

I took three steps, realised something was odd and paused, looking back into the sky and straining to spot those birds again. Something was wrong about them, they were moving far too fast and now that I looked more carefully were far too big just to be a flock of pigeons but I've never heard of birds of prey travelling in flocks.

The flock dived all at once and rushed towards the ground. No. Not towards the ground. Towards me. I started running, I didn't know of any birds that hunt humans so it was safe to assume they weren't birds. I craned my neck back to keep the weird birds in sight and tried to keep my footing on the uneven roof. It was funny but now they were closer and had their wings folded they didn't so much look like birds and more like. People.

I skidded to a stop right at the edge of the roof and looked more closely at the dark shapes. Sophie had wings, was there any chance at all that she may have found me? There was another flash which lit up the flying shapes and the rain started coming down in stair rods.

I recognised them all too well and groaned. Erasers with wings. That was just what I needed. I watched the leading Eraser swoop down through the rain ahead of the others, pulling up sharply and rocketing along the roof aiming for my head. I didn't move, just watched, gauging distances and trying to ignore the fact that my bag wasn't waterproof. Then just as he was about to crash into me I leapt backwards, arching my back and watching him pass scant inches above me, and lashed out claws outstretched.

And caught air, so instead of tearing into his wing like I planed his wing smashed into my right wrist and I felt bones break. The impact sent me flying, spinning wildly and having only just enough time to squeeze my eyes shut before hitting the concrete below with a bang. I lay there for a stunned moment wondering what happened to cats always landing on their feet. It mustn't count when falling a storey and a half. I tried to get unsteadily to my feet and hissed in pain as I put weight on my wrist; that was definitely broken.

I sat back down and checked to see if anything else was broken, my back was agony from where I'd landed on it but I assumed it wasn't broken as I was still moving. Something smashed into the side of my head and I went sprawling, somehow managing to fall on my inured wrist. I snarled in frustration and got clumsily to my feet, walking on all fours was out of the question so I stood on two. Why hadn't I heard that coming? I can always hear these things coming.

The rain drummed persistently on the concrete, drowning out all other noise and I rolled my eyes; it was no surprise I couldn't hear anything, but that just left me with… I spotted a shadow moving fast through the rain and threw myself out of the way just as an Eraser came screeching by. Sight. And with the rain that wasn't much use anyway.

I needed to find some kind of cover; I was too exposed here and I couldn't watch every angle. I sprinted towards the barn and flattened myself against the wall, squinting through the rain. I couldn't see a way into the barn but at least they wouldn't be able to sneak up on me. I glanced up to make sure of this and looked back down just in time to see six dark shapes melt out of the rain.

I snarled, baring my claws and trying to let my wrist hang loosely so they wouldn't know it was broken. The Erasers stopped short, just out of my range and my eyes flickered between them, I could try running but I'd never tried outrunning Erasers upright before but could I really take on six, while injured?

"I thought she be tougher than this," the one on the far left announced loftily. I narrowed my eyes at him and flicked my tail. Well, if I was going to fight, he'd be the first to go down.

"Yeah," another agreed boorishly. "Her sister gave us a longer chase." The first Eraser shot a daggered look at him and so did I. If any of them had even touched Soph they were all going to suffer. Thought that did mean that Soph had definitely escaped but had she been recaptured?

"She squealed a lot more as well," the first agreed after a moment with a malicious glint in his eye. My growl deepened, I was vaguely aware that he was trying to bait me but couldn't care less. I just couldn't get the image of Soph cowering in her cage

"Stop," I told him, still growling and trying to stop myself from springing. This would've been a great time for some ultra fast healing to come along but nothing happened

"Or what, you'll cry?" he shot back. I bared my fangs at him and he showed his own.

"What have you done with her?" I half roared. "I swear if you've hurt her I'll…"

"Don't worry," he said reaching for something under his coat. "No one's going to hurt her where she is now."

I roared in rage and anguish and charged at him, failing wildly with my left hand and letting my right hang painfully at my side. He caught my left wrist with ease and I barrelled into him knocking us both to the floor and feeling something stab into my stomach.

I brought my hind feet up and started tearing at him with them; I knew what he'd done but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of me collapsing without a fight. He cuffed me round the head and my vision span, and went on spinning. He still held my wrist in a death grip but I could feel the damage I was doing with my claws, I just couldn't quite remember why I was doing it.

I collapsed, still vainly clinging to consciousness. The rain was drumming on my ears and I was conscious that my fur was soaked through and that felt very important for some reason. I couldn't concentrate on anything outside of me anyway.

"Get this bloody thing off me," I heard a voice yell angrily very close and yet somehow very far away at the same time.

I knew I'd been drugged and I knew I was in serious trouble but my last thought before I passed out was.

'_Sophie.'_


	9. Furred Fiend

_Authors note: Okay sorry this took a while but it is extra long to make up for it. Enjoy and watch out for the tiger. _

Furred Fiend

I woke up feeling sick to my stomach, literally sick, but I didn't open my eyes. Sophie was dead. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I… I'd been told it by the Erasers and I trusted them about as far as I could throw them. So maybe there was hope. I wasn't being rained on anymore at least, of course that begged the question, where was I? Another cage knowing my luck.

I breathed deeply through my nose and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of cow and faeces. So in the barn. Maybe? Or at least that was what I guessed from the echoes. Better than the lab at least. My head was still swimming because of the sedatives but I could just hear a murmured conversation at the far end of the space. I flicked my ears and strained to hear. Maybe I could figure out where I was before they knew I was awake.

"When we get back you are so getting it for mentioning her sister," I heard an Eraser's voice say. My hackles went up so I guessed it was the one who sedated me.

"You said provoke her," another muttered defensively.

"Yes. Provoke," he said bluntly, "Not tell her everything." I reckoned he was the leader. He was certainly acting like one

"She wasn't that tough," a third interjected, I flicked my tail in annoyance then stopped, remembering I was supposed to be unconscious. "You had us all hyped up for nothing."

"Her body count's higher than yours, Four," the first pointed out shutting him up.

I cracked open my eyes and looked around. I was right, I was in the barn. It was still raining; I could see it through the half closed door, which the Erasers were sitting next to in a rough circle. None of them were watching me, so I got quietly onto all fours, noticing that my wrist didn't hurt anymore, and looked for another way out.

Which there wasn't. There was a row of cattle pens next to me but whoever had designed the barn obviously didn't think they'd need more that one exit. Terrific.I slipped through the bars of the nearest pen which was occupied by an old cow who quite sensibly stayed quite. Thought that might be more because she was petrified than smart.

"That's why I insisted on taking her blood now," I heard the lead Eraser say, as I considered which way to go and whether I could get to the entrance by slipping through the bars of the pens. "It's easier when they're unco…" the Eraser petered off, presumably as he saw where I should have been.

I whirled to see him rising to his feet, quickly followed by the others.

"Where the hell is she!" he yelled angrily. "She should be unconscious for at least another two hours."

That was interesting, but not important right now. I dived into the next pen, slipping under the bars and keeping low. I may be camouflaged slightly but that was useless under the florescent strip lighting. The Erasers were running to where they'd left me but two were still guarding the door. Someone has to tell me when the Easers got smart. Maybe it's the wings.

I kept moving, I did not want to take six Erasers on at once so I needed some way of hiding, but under the lights there was nowhere, short of hiding behind a cow, and that would probably get my skull kicked in. There was a yell from behind me and I guessed I'd been spotted; there was no time to look round. If only I could kill the lights I could hide, but the switches were conveniently mounted next to the door and so next to the Erasers.

I leapt at one of the metal I-beams supporting the roof and tried to scramble up, the switches might have been at ground level but the cables ran right up to the ceiling. A gun roared and something ricocheted off the beam just above my head, I paused and immediately lost my gip, slipping down several feet, my claws skittering on the metal and wrapped my arms round the beam.

"Moron!" I heard the lead Eraser yell and I looked down to see him grab a gun off another and point it right at me. I moved, and quickly, shimming round to the other side of the pillar and dragging myself painstakingly up all the time waiting for the shots to come.

"Now Kit," the Eraser yelled into the rafters as I pulled myself onto a supporting beam and collapsed gasping for breath. Next time I'll take the stairs. "This is stupid. Where are you actually planning to go?"

"Congratulations, you got my name right!" I called back, scrambling along a beam towards the light cables. I didn't look down; it was slippery enough without adding vertigo to the equation.

A shot pinged off the metal next to me and I jumped in surprise, losing my balance and had to throw myself forwards to grab another support to avoid falling the one storey drop. I crashed into the beam catching it in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me dangling. That could have definitely gone better.

"See Kit," the Eraser continued in an almost reasonable tone. "You can't escape. Now come down before you get hurt." I growled in annoyance and pulled myself back onto the beam. Like my safety was important. They obviously hadn't seen what I'd done to their friends.

I heard him whisper something along the lines of. "Another couple of warning shots should do it."

And I dropped flat on my stomach clasping my hands over my ears and shutting my eyes as gunshot roared around me, pinging off the metal beam and embedding themselves in the roof. After a moment the Erasers stopped firing and I opened my eyes and immediately got hit in the nose by the rain trickling through the holes in the ceiling. I shock my head and looked around, my little leap had left me on a bar leading right to the light cables.

I stood up as another shot whizzed past my head, significantly less warning than last time and I almost slipped. My balance on two feet still isn't very good but I needed the acceleration. I started running, my claws skittering on the metal and holding my tail high to keep my balance. More bullets screamed around them, deafening in the confined space and I slammed into the wall right next to the cables digging my claws into the wall for grip.

"Give it up Kit," the Eraser yelled up at me, motioning for the other Erasers to cease fire. "There's nowhere to run."

My eyes flashed, and I bared my teeth in what could just be called a malicious smile, nowhere to run, huh? I neatly severed the cables with one sweep of my claws. The lights flickered and faded slowly to black and I did my best Cheshire Cat impression. Plenty of places to hide.

I threw myself forwards on to a bar and blinked rapidly to get my night vision in, with the storm outside it was practically pitch black in there, now if I just knew how good the Erasers night vision was. A couple of torches immediately flicked on, illuminating the wall where I'd been standing and I padded along the bar on all fours, careful to stay out of sight and regretting not using all fours before. The lead Eraser cracked open a glow stick and the barn was filled with a weak phosphorescent light that only served to deepen the shadows.

"Find her," he roared, holding the stick higher and actually making the shadows darker. "And don't leave the door unguarded." I rolled my eyes; I was really hoping they wouldn't remember that. Some of the Erasers started roaming around the barn, shining their torches into the rafters.

I picked out one as he walked beneath me and shadowed him across the bars. He took a sudden left and I looked daggers at him as he walked obliviously away from my beam. I eyed the next rafter along, gauging distances, squatted down and leapt across a good twenty foot gap, landing hard and scrabbling for purchase on the metal. Torch beams swung towards me and my Eraser looked up in confusion.

I lay flat on the bar as the beams swept over me; none of them paused, after a moment they swung away. I sighed in relief and looked over the edge. My Eraser had looked back down and was now shining his torch into the shadows of a discarded plough. I waited until he had walked directly beneath me and waited. Sitting back on my haunches and just watching.

He started to wander off and I dropped out of the rafters head first. I crashed into the Eraser's back, locking my claws into his shoulders and holding on for dear life and we smashed into the concrete.

There was a stunned moment as I remembered just how much that trick hurt. The Eraser beneath me moaned slightly but didn't try to get up and the nasty blood stain on the floor said he wouldn't for a while.

I leapt off him and dived for the nearest patch of shadows as the other Erasers came running. The old plough looked the most promising, so I slipped behind it and stood as still as possible.

"Shit," one said bluntly, pointing his torch at the downed Eraser who was quite definitely unconscious.

"And that's why I say she's dangerous," the lead Eraser said bitterly. "Now find her." He began to morph, soon followed by the others and in unison they flicked off their torches leaving the barn dark except for the filmy light from the glow stick which the lead Eraser quickly dropped to the floor and smothered with his jacket.

The darkness was near total; a little light came through the gap in the door but nothing else. I could just see the Erasers fifteen feet away as vague shadowy forms, it was too dark to make out anything else and tiger night vision is better than humans or even wolves, so just what where they planning, they couldn't catch me if they couldn't see me?

I flicked my ears as I heard one of the Erasers drop to the floor and begin snuffling around. Of course being wolves they could probably smell me. Shit. I ran out from behind the plough, relying on sheer luck to stop me running into a wall. How well could you fight by scent? Couldn't be that well. Could it?

I heard the Eraser long before I saw it; its claws clicking on the concrete as it ran straight at me, so much for keeping moving to blur my trail, and I skidded to a stop, wheeling to face it, and straining to see in the darkness. I could hear that the other Erasers were running towards me, all of them, but mine was closer. I'd deal with them when they got to me.

I readied to spring, just waiting for him to get to me, if I timed it right it could all be over in one swipe. The Eraser loomed out of the darkness, fully morphed and massive and I leapt at him without thinking, suddenly realising that the Eraser was on all fours and I had aimed as if he was walking upright. I had about half a second to contemplate this before I went flying over him, he flailed wildly at me and managed dig his claws deep into my leg.

I hit the ground hard and sprang back on my feet, whirling round to face him with a growl in my throat. I didn't give him time to recover, just leapt, crashing into his side and bowling him to the floor. I dug my claws into his back, scything through flesh and fur and grating along his ribs. He roared in pain and slammed his arm into my face and I felt a stream of blood burst out of my nose. I growled in frustration and took a wild swipe at his throat but missed by a mile and dug my other hand deeper into his back in retribution.

I heard the second Eraser come running a second before he hit, and spun round to face him, desperately trying to untangle myself from the first one, fell back on my haunches and sprang. This one was upright and I crashed into him bearing him to the floor and tearing out his windpipe with my teeth before we even hit the ground. We came to earth with a crash and I leapt off him as he flailed in his death throws.

I took a deep breath, and was rugby tackled by the first Eraser who dug his own claws deep into my sides. I gasped in pain and raked my claws across his face, gouging my hind claws deep into his legs. He staggered backwards howling in pain and I leapt at him again, driving my claws deep into his chest and grabbing his throat in my jaws. He hooked his fingers into my hair as he fought to keep his feet and I tried to jerk my head enough to tear his throat but was stopped short as he yanked on my hair.

I bit down harder, feeling his blood flowing into my mouth, it tasted foul but I didn't care, I just squeezed harder. He tried to shake me off, but I dug my claws in deeper and clung on doggedly. He sunk to his knees and began hammering on my back with his free hand, and I snarled in frustration. Why wouldn't he die?

His fingers loosened in my hair and I whipped my head to one side, finally tearing out his throat and spat out the flesh and blood in disgust. He collapsed in a heap at my feet, his eyes staring sightlessly into the dark, and I sat back on my heels, clasping my arms round my head and breathing deeply. Fighting like that can take really take it out of you; especially if you're really a one hit predator.

There was a thunder clap of noise and a bullet passed clean through my arm. There was a brief moment before I realised what had happened and then doubled up in pain, fighting the urge to scream. It hurt even more than last time, if that were possible. Two torches flicked on, almost blinding in the darkness and I had a moment to register the two Erasers me who were guarding the door striding towards me before I squeezed my eyes shut to preserve my night vision and threw myself out of the circle of light.

I open my eyes a moment later, and started running to stay out of the torch beams, bullets whistled around me and I ducked instinctively, I wasn't partial to getting shot again but if I stayed out of the light I might be okay. A ricochet traced a burning line across my leg and I stumbled, falling flat on my face, right in the light and I braced myself, waiting for the shots and death to come. That healing was good but I doubt it could heal death.

Nothing happened.

I raised my head to see the Erasers desperately reloading and sprang to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg, arm and the wooziness in my head and sprinted towards the Erasers. The torch beams were dazzling but I didn't need to see them, I could hear them well enough to aim and even so I could see the fear in their eyes. I leapt into the air as they slammed another cartridge into their pistols and I barrelled into the closest one, jarring my injured arm and slicing my claws neatly through his throat.

He crumpled to the floor and I sprung from him as he was falling towards his partner who was just bringing his gun up. I crashed into him and the gun roared, the bullet slamming into the ceiling as I bore him to the floor. I tore his throat out with one swipe before we even hit the floor and watched the light fade out of his eyes before carefully getting off him and, after listening for any more Erasers sneaking up on me, keeled over.

That was it, I realised gasping for breath, I couldn't take any more, if another one came I doubted I could even raise my arms.

"Weak as a kitten," I observed feebly and chuckled. It wasn't funny. Good thing that was all of them, I would be able to fight or even move for a while.

I sat bolt upright as I remembered that there were six of them; I grabbed the nearest torch and swung the beam around full circle. A few spooked cows, a lot of blood, no charging Eraser. I swung the beam into the rafters remembering my own trick, still nothing. Maybe I'd got lucky. And maybe pigs would fly.

"Make a snack for the flying wolves," I murmured to myself faintly. Another not funny joke. It was probably the blood loss and the exhaustion talking.

I collapsed backwards, feeling the skin knit on my leg. That was a good sign. Healing away my tiredness would be good too but it didn't feel like it was forthcoming.

I closed my eyes and was instantly asleep.


	10. Feral

Feral

I woke up about two hours later and stayed in the barn, waiting for the rain to stop. When it finally did I walked for the rest of the day, in the end bedding down in the lea of a hedge which looked at least reasonably dry.

The next morning I cracked open my eyes, looked up into the sky and groaned.

I really didn't want to get up. I'd been on the run for the last week. Hadn't I earned at least one day off? A shiver rippled through me as I realised just how cold I was and that my back was soaked through. I leapt to my feet, almost collapsing as both my legs cramped simultaneously and rubbing my arms furiously, trying to warm up. Winter isn't exactly the best time of year to sleep rough, and I have fur.

I took a furtive look around and took my shirt off, shaking myself all over to get rid of any lingering moisture out of my fur. The shirt was looking very sorry for itself, covered in blood, gore and general moisture; it wasn't the most pleasant thing to look at and had seen far better days. I rooted around in my backpack and after digging past layers of Sophie sized clothes, I don't know why I was still carrying those around, I pulled out something wearable and pulled it on. So that was my morning routine, take off anything too fetid to keep wearing and find something new. Perfect.

I stuffed my old shirt in my bag and pulled out a water bottle, draining it in one and then realised I was hungry. I would have thought that that stag would have lasted me longer, but then again I'd been active. I pulled out my map and glanced at it. Not a forest for miles, so I had no chance of catching an early breakfast. And it wasn't like I could stop at a super market. Maybe I could pick off a farm animal, but people might get suspicious and I didn't like the idea of leaving so obvious a trail.

I slipped my backpack on and dropped onto all fours. I wasn't going to get anywhere standing here moaning about how long a walk it was, I'd deal with each problem when I got to it. I tried to ignore the fact that home was still a hundred miles away.

Four hours later I was wishing I'd stayed where I was. My feet hurt; all four of them, and my pads were doing nothing to help, if anything it they just made it worse and I knew better than try to scratch them. I was still hungry too. The landscape I had been travelling across had had sweeping fields, rolling hills and more farms than I knew existed but not one place to find a meal beyond a few scraggily rabbits, and I speak from experience when saying hunting rabbit is not worth the effort.

I paused to listen to whether anyone was nearby and, when I couldn't hear anything, sat down angrily with my back against a stile growling to myself. What now, find a drive-through or maybe just raid a fridge? I could see a line of trees in the distance but really I couldn't be bothered to get up to find out; it was just another border along someone's bloody field. A shame because I really feel like mauling something right now.

A shadow past over my head and I looked up to see a bird circling high above my head. I glared at it suspiciously; I wasn't believing anything I saw in the sky was a bird anymore. It was too far away for me to see properly but it was circling me and I was fairly sure I didn't look dead yet. I closed my eyes and made doubly sure I couldn't here anyone sneaking up on me, which I couldn't and I couldn't smell anyone either. Maybe it was just a condor and I was being paranoid.

I heard the bang a split second before something lanced into my shoulder and I roared in anger, leaping forwards onto all fours and lashing my head back and forwards to see where the shot had come from, growling all the while. My chin brushed against the dart and my growl intensified as the wound burned, I took the dart in my teeth and yanked it out, wincing from the pain and growling all the louder as I spat it away.

I couldn't see anything that could have fired but I still snarled at the nearest empty space, scanning for movement, any movement, I just needed one twitch to latch onto and then I'd have them. Nothing stirred, the hedges rustled in the wind but I couldn't see my shooter, couldn't hear anything either. There was another bang and I threw myself to one side, landing in a ditch but dodging the dart that embedded itself vertically into the ground a couple of inches away.

I started running, I could see a line of trees in the distance, if I could reach those I would get some cover and be safe. I was still straining to hear the shooter but all around me was silence save for a few surprised birds, a third shot boomed above me and I accelerated, hearing a tiny thump as the dart hit a few inches behind me. I glanced up, the bird was still circling above me but there were no guns, a small part of my mind suggested that it might be the bird shooting at me but that was stupid, only humans had guns.

I burst though another hedge and snapped my attention back to the ground to stop myself falling into a ditch, digging my claws into the earth for traction and darted left as another shot splashed into a nearby puddle. That little voice was still screaming that I was being attacked from above but that was ludicrous. Nothing attacks from above. Or at least nothing attacks with a gun from above anyway. I sprinted along the edge of the field, where I was being attacked from could wait until I could get to where was I going to hide.

Another hedgerow loomed in front of me and I dived into it, snagging my claws in the branches and dragging myself to a stop. I crouched down low and checked to see if anyone was hunting me, nothing moved but I had no idea who was shooting at me. I began skulking along the line of the hedge, pausing occasionally to double check for something following me.

There was a loud woomph as something landed in the field a few dozen yards away and I whipped round to face it, dropping flat on my stomach to make best use of the shadows. The 'thing' didn't make any sense, my eyes were telling me it looked like a human but it was furling huge black wings behind its back and my nose was screaming _"Wolf!" _not to mention a little aggravating voice at the back of my mind yelling _"Eraser you dolt!" _

I readied myself to spring but something stopped me, and it was probably for the best as the Eraser turned to reveal a long hunting rifle held in the crook of its arm. I felt a growl rise in my throat which I quickly silenced. He was the one that got away, but the gun would hurt and I wouldn't be able to reach him before he fired.

He looked round once more in frustration and shot wildly into the hedgerow, hitting a good hundred yards away. I bared my fangs and twitched my tail in amusement, now if he'd only walk along the hedge. The thing spread its wings again and began to run away from me, labouring into the sky and then was gone. I checked above me and saw it still circling above me, that would get annoying but I had more pressing issues to attend to. My stomach growled. And that was one of them.

I skulked off towards the forest. With any luck the thing would get bored and fly away, that annoying little voice didn't believe it though.

Half any hour later I was growling to myself even though I was supposed to be hunting. There was nothing in the blasted wood, it didn't even deserve the word forest, and so far I hadn't seen tracks for anything bigger than a rabbit and those barely deserve the title of food. I paused suddenly as I caught a scent on the wind; it smelled almost like… chicken. Barbecuing chicken to be precise, sure that meant someone was cooking it, but I was hungry enough not to care. Besides being a tiger stops people complaining when you take their food, though that little voice was kicking up a storm about my plan.

I followed my nose to a clearing and lurked in the shadows watching what looked like a perfectly normal family making a barbecue lunch. I was surprised it was lunch time, maybe I'd slept late. Two adults were busying themselves around a smoking grill and a little girl was happily playing around the edges of the clearing, I briefly considered changing my menu but decided against it. That annoying voice was making enough of a fuss already.

"Hey," the girl said, suddenly right on top of me and making me crouch down in surprise. "What are you supposed to be?"

I froze for a moment and then roared, sending the girl running screaming, "Muuum!" then leapt after her, landing about an inch short of her and only because that voice ruined my pounce.

"What the heck is that thing?" the woman screamed as her husband pushed her roughly behind him and brandished a toasting fork at me.

"Get to the truck!" he roared as I looked at him quizzically, wondering if he was going to try anything, surely that voice wouldn't protest to a little self defence. He began to retreat, not taking his eyes from me and I snorted in displeasure. Oh well, the grill was at least left unprotected.

I stood up next to the barbecue and speared a few choice pieces of chicken on my claws, keeping a careful eye on the man and his family in case they tried anything funny. They didn't look like they would; it looked more like they were barricading themselves in their pickup. I swallowed a piece of meat whole and then realised that the man was pointing a shotgun at me.

I moved quick as a flash, leaping over the grill and kicking off it, sending hot coals flying everywhere and sprinting towards the man who flicked the safety off his gun and took careful aim. The gun roared and I felt the buckshot tear into me as I leapt into the air, partly I'll admit to get the weight off my legs, and bared my teeth in a silent snarl as I soared at him. He didn't flinch, just reversed his grip on the gun and swung it like a baseball bat.

The stock smashed into the side of my head and I slammed into the man, losing all control and bouncing of the side of the truck then collapsed in a heap on the floor. I vainly fought to stay conscious but my vision was greying out and blood was flowing freely into my eyes. My head was pounding, mostly because that little voice was screaming its head off but I still tried to get to my feet, growling all the while as the blood throbbed in my ears and my legs burnt.

I tired to take a tentative step and my legs gave out instantly, leaving me lying face down in the dirt and my next attempt didn't even get me off the ground. My growls petered out, fading to a dull rumble as the blackness took me and a bared my fangs at the man as he loomed over me, a last gesture of defiance as I fell into unconsciousness.

That voice was still yelling at me.


	11. The Morning After

The Morning After

I woke up with my head pounding and stubbornly didn't open my eyes. Childish I know, but maybe if I didn't acknowledge it then reality would give up and leave me alone.

My stomach growled. So much for that idea.

I cracked open an eye, and saw the cold steel grill of a cage above me and leapt to my feet, banging my head on the roof and causing the whole thing to rattle.

I forced myself to calm down as a growl rose in my throat and crouched in the centre on the cage, lashing my tail and half looking for something to pounce out. I didn't have a clue as to how I'd got there; all I really remembered was being hit by a dart or something then… A flash of memory suddenly came to me, that Eraser that escaped me in the barn landing in a field and me, screaming at someone. I couldn't quite remember who though.

That was weird; for a start who would I be yelling at? More importantly though when had that happened? I looked beyond the cage; it definitely didn't look like any part of lab I had seen. Beige walls, the occasional painting and a few old fashioned wooden medicine cabernets that looked almost homely, though I couldn't read any of the labels from where I was so they might have contained evil medicine. There was also an examination table next to my cage and even posters on the anatomy of cats and dogs on the walls. I did note however that there was only a slim window near the ceiling, but that beat most parts of the Lab and that place looked almost lived in, a far cry from the labs unusual sterility.

My head throbbed and I put my hand to the side of my head where I found a massive bruise. I was sure was I supposed to have healing powers, but maybe it only healed serious injuries, though in my opinion a blinding headache was pretty serious. I growled in annoyance. I really hated being caged. Worst I had absolutely no idea just where I'd picked up that damn bruise. I'd been sitting down when I blacked out for heaven's sake.

An image of a man holding a shotgun flashed through my mind. Odd seeing I'd never seen him before in my life and I rubbed my eyes, sitting back against the wires of the cage which jingled merrily. It was just too confusing, not to mention the fact I had know idea how long I'd been there, I should get a watch. A door clicked closed somewhere nearby and I froze, flicking my ears to find another sound.

"So you're sure you have no idea just what it is?" I heard a man ask, a vague memory of him yelling something in panic flittered across my mind but it was gone before I could figure out just when it had happened.

"Your guess is just as good as mine," another voice answered. A woman this time, and I definitely didn't recognise her. Their foot steps were getting closer and I tensed, hopefully I would remain caged for long.

"You should probably just put the damn thing down," the man continued grumpily and I snarled in the general direction of his voice. "It shrugged of a shotgun blast from point blank and was still trying to get up after I'd hit it for a home run."

"I'll bear that in mind," the woman replied curtly and opened the door to the room. My eyes locked onto the man and I instantly recognised him.

The memories came back in a rush and my eyes widened in shock. Had I really been considering eating that little girl?

That was…

Monstrous.

What the hell had been in that dart?

Do you know the worst thing though? I hadn't really been acting that differently from normal.

It was disturbing that the lab could mess with how I thought, it was a good thing that they'd hadn't managed to do it before now. Then again, how would I tell? I thought back over the last two weeks, I couldn't think of anything that seamed irrational, sure I'd killed a few Erasers and devoured half a stag but old Kit would have done that. Wouldn't she?

Probably not actually. Old Kit felt like a different person, some of her… my memories didn't even make sense anymore. Like teams, how do teams make sense?

I snapped back into reality and realised the man a woman were still talking. I'd have to think about how I'd changed later, there were more important things going on.

"How's Elizabeth holding up?" the woman asked the man. Note to self: don't tune out of your captors' conversation, who knows what I missed. I actually looked at her for the first time and realised she was wearing a white coat, an involuntary growl rose in my throat though I kept my suspicion in check, lots of people where white coats and most of them aren't inherently evil.

"Still in hysterics," the man replied gruffly. "And Kay won't stop crying."

"Go take care of them," the woman told him kindly. "I'll deal with the tiger."

"You sure?" he asked. "You'd didn't see what it was capable of."

"I'll be fine," she said testily, rolling her eyes.

"Okay then." He left hurriedly and the woman entered and closed the door with a sigh, then crouched down next to my cage.

"You're not a tiger are you?" she asked bluntly, looking me right in the eyes.

I regarded her coldly for a moment, wondering if I should trust her or not. Sure I'd managed to pick up an instinctive fear of people in white coats over the last month but I wasn't ruled by my instinct. Hopefully. Besides, I'd managed to get myself into this mess of my own initiative and I doubted the lab could set up me going feral, attacking some random person and getting knocked out.

There was also the little matter of the cage wires being a little too fine for me to fit my fingers through so I was actually going to need someone to open it from the outside.

"How do you figure that? I asked nonchalantly, sitting forward and resting my head on my hands. Her eyes widened in shock and I fought to keep a straight face, that was probably a rash decision but her reaction was worth it.

"You're talking," she said after a moment's stunned silence, kind of answering my question but it was more a shocked statement. "Well you don't look like a tiger," she continued stammering. "Real tigers are bulkier. Not to mention the fact that you're sitting up, wearing clothes and have thumbs."

"It's true, my disguise sucks," I admitted, wiggling said thumbs. "But at least I can still play my console."

"Who are you?" she asked in shock and confusion. I seem to be getting that reaction a lot lately, maybe it's the stripes.

"I'm Kit," I told her frankly. "Who are you, and where the hell am I?"

"I'm Dr Rainer," she explained, still sounding flabbergasted. "And you're in my surgery. I'm the one who pulled the buckshot out of you."

"Oh," I said simply, coming off my high a little. I'd almost forgotten how I'd ended up here. "Well I suppose I should thank you for that. Any chance of letting me out?" I suggested casually, trying my best to make it sound a reasonable request-

"No," she said instantly.

And failing miserably. It's the teeth I swear, it makes my voice all growly.

I sighed and sat back against the grill of my cage, crossing my arms in front of me and trying to look relaxed while keeping a steely eye on Dr Rainer. My tail continued to lash though, as I sized up the various ways to escape so maybe my casual air fell down a little. It didn't particularly look I was going to able to talk my way out of there, though I was beginning to wonder just how tough the wire really was.

"Why did you attack Paul?" she suddenly asked, catching me by surprise.

"I was hungry," I said automatically and then realised just how bad that sounded. "Plus I wasn't really myself." At some point I was really going to have sit down to figure out just what they had done to me, and I'm not just talking about my feet anymore.

"Just who are you anyway?" she asked rubbing her eyes.

"I told you, I'm Kit," I said with a shrug.

"Okay, what are you?" she amended a little testily. See you should be specific.

"You don't want to know," I told her after a moment's consideration. "The last guy who asked was fleeing for his life ten minutes later." Her eyes widened and I hastily added. "Not from me by the way."

"Who then?" she asked frowning.

"The…" I began, and then thought of Michael and his sister. "Really you don't want to know," I completed.

"I think I do," she said contrarily.

"No, you don't," I assured her. "These people were perfectly willing to kill someone for even talking to me. Hell, they'd probably kill you just for seeing me so I guess it actually doesn't matter in the slightest." I paused for a moment after finishing that sentence.

"Shit!" I swore suddenly, just figuring out what even being here implied. "This was exactly why I was trying to keep away from people," I muttered angrily to myself. "HHHHHhhow could I have been so stupid to get caught by bystanders?"

"I guess if they're after me already there's no harm in telling me all about it then?" she suggested diplomatically and I fixed her with a steely glare. She was right but I don't think she quite realised quite how far in over her head she already was.

"Let me out and I'll think about it," I countered, leaning forward.

"I still don't know that you won't try to eat me," she said calculatingly.

"And I still don't know that your not one of them," I snapped back. "But I'm not the one that has to worry about Lab goons breaking down that door at any second. I can just escape again."

"Deal," she said after a moment's consideration and pulled a ring of keys out of her coat pocket. I sprang out of the cage the moment I heard the lock click and got slowly to my feet, starching in a way that only felines can truly manage.

"I hate cages," I said simply and eyed Dr Rainer who'd leapt backwards when I'd rushed out.

"I'm not going to bite," I assured her, smiling faintly and trying my best not to show too many teeth. My supposedly harmless image was kind of ruined as my stomach chose that moment to let out a loud growl, reminding me that I was still very hungry and there was a potential food source about six feet away, though that last bit may have just been paranoia. Seriously, how can you tell the difference between instinct and your own overactive imagination?

"Hungry?" she asked, as soon as it looked like I wasn't going to pounce.

"Starving," I told her honestly and probably redundantly.

"Let's find you some food then," she said taking a nervous breath. "And you can tell me all about this grand conspiracy.

"Wait a moment," I said taking the wire mesh of the open cage door in both hands and twisted. It warped easily beneath my hands and I muttered, "Thought so," to myself, before following Dr Rainer out.


	12. A Road to Somewhere

A Road to Somewhere

You have no idea how good a set of clean clothes and a shower feel after about a month. Dr Rainer turned out to be rather sympathetic to my story as it happens; the kidnap of a thirteen year old girl by evil scientists provokes that sort of reaction apparently, though I edited out some of the violence. Okay, all the violence. I was trying to appear the victim rather than some insane tiger. Which one I actually was is more or less up to you, just I wasn't going to think about it, something told me I wasn't going to be particularly happy with either answer.

Anyway, it felt good to get back to civilisation for once, though in this case it was more a matter of being dragged into civilisation. I was more than happy to settle for an open door, a direction to follow and the twelve pounds of meat Dr Rainer had in cold storage for the dogs. She, however, decided that she could be even more helpful so after a few hours of having everything I owned cleaned, preened and pressed I was loaded into the back of her pickup and before I knew it we'd already gone further than I had the rest of my journey combined. I've got to learn to drive; that or grow wings.

For some reason though I couldn't settle, maybe it was putting my fate in someone else's hands even for a few hours, maybe it was the fact I had absolutely no idea why she was helping me, or maybe it was that I'd been hiding under a tarpaulin for a quarter of an hour and was slowly beginning to broil in my fur. It took about thirty seconds for me to finally come to a decision, and I slipped out from under the tarpaulin, quickly discovering just how windy it is while you're going sixty miles an hour.

Actually it was kind of fun once I'd gotten a firmer footing and had managed to extract my claws from the ruins of the tarpaulin. There was another thing I was going to have to chalk up to instinct, claws, but standing on the flatbed of a vehicle going at sixty miles an hour down a country road is not a comfortable position for either a tiger or anyone with half a brain. I swung my legs over the side of the pickup and leapt onto the half step under the passenger door, wrapping my toes round it and for once glad that I couldn't where shoes anymore. My grip tightened on the bodywork as the wind tried to rip me away from the side and I briefly wondered whether I would have done something like this before I got crossed with a big cat. In fairness I probably wouldn't have, but it was more a matter of me being unable to do it rather than unwilling.

I opened the passenger door a crack and half leapt, half swung through the gap, grabbing and pushing the inner handle to catapult me into the front seat and slammed the door shut after me, trying to relax enough so that it would actually look impressive.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dr Rainer demanded angrily the second I was inside and I rolled my eyes, trying to extricate my tail which had wrapped round my leg to avoid getting caught in the door. Add another one to instinct.

"I was boiling alive under that tarp," I explained shrugging. "Besides you said I could sit in the front when we left the town and I don't see any town out there." I emphasised that with a wave of my hand and the surrounding scenery which had given way to fields and a few sparse woods.

"I was waiting until we got onto the country roads," she said tersely, taking a deep breath. "You're not exactly inconspicuous."

"Point," I admitted. "But who's really going to believe that they just saw a tiger sitting in your front seat. With any luck we'll be gone before they give us a second glace."

"Yeah, well let's just say I don't particularly share your optimism," she said anxiously. She'd gotten decidedly twitchy after I'd told her the full extent of the Lab thing. That was part of the reason she was giving me the lift, the further away I was the further away everyone else was from danger. "And what on earth convinced you that getting into the front seat of a moving car was a good idea?"

"The fact that I can do it," I said simply, not admitting that I had absolutely no idea whether or not that trick was going to work, and that a fall from there wasn't particularly likely to kill me. That was another thing for my 'to do' list, find just how effective these healing powers actually were.

"Now that's just arrogance," Dr Rainer said after a moment, shaking her head.

"No," I countered, perplexed. "It's true, you just saw it."

"I know that," she said. "But you don't have to be so dismissive, it's rude."

"But it is true," I said with certainty.

"It wouldn't kill you to show a little empathy," she grumbled.

I thought about that one for a moment. I hadn't done anything particularly terrible to her that warranted guilt beyond involving her in this mess and that had only partly been my fault, so I didn't quite get what I was supposed to be empathising about; all I'd done was correct her.

"You do know what empathy is right?" she asked, cutting through my introspection.

"Sure," I said off-handly. "I've got enough gnawing guilt to keep me sated for years."

"No," she said sounding concerned. "Its not the same as guilt, it's about caring about what another person's feeling."

There was another long silence in which I mulled that over and finally admitted, in a small voice, "I don't think I know how to do that."

"Seriously," Dr Rainer asked in disbelief. "I thought you said you were human."

"What are you suggesting," I snarled and she flinched away slightly, remind me to kick my self later.

"I remember stuff like that," I admitted after a moment, the growl out of my voice more or less. "It just doesn't make sense anymore." Dr Rainer glanced at me with a look of pity in her eyes and I fought back another snarl. Who needed empathy anyway, it just sounded uncomfortable?

"I'm going to sleep," I muttered, closing my eyes and curling up with my back to Dr Rainer. "Wake me up when we're close."

It's a funny thing but if you spend long enough in a car you get used to the sounds it makes and if you suddenly get hearing like mine it's extremely easy to tell if something's wrong.

"What's going on?" I demanded, sitting bolt upright as the engine roared.

"Some joker's right up my tail pipe," she snapped and I glanced over my shoulder to see a large unmarked black van that was practically driving with its bumper glued to our spare tire. It reminded me of a very similar unmarked black van that had first kidnapped me and Soph and the tinting in the windows only really confirmed my suspicions.

"Err, Doc," I said hesitantly as the van dropped back a little.

"I know, I know," she said edgily. "I can figure these things out."

"Can we outrun them?" I asked craning round the head rest again to get a better look.

"Let's just say I inherited this car," she said as an explanation and I winced.

"Gun in the back perhaps then?" I suggested as the van appeared to drop back, paranoia convinced me that it probably wasn't going to stay there.

"I'm a vet, not a freaking vigilante," she half yelled and I noticed her knuckles were going white on the steering wheel. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

I ignored that question, it wasn't particularly for me anyway and I suddenly noticed an Eraser leaning out of the van window, aiming a very large handgun.

"You may want to try dodging," I suggested to Dr Rainer, wincing in anticipation. There was no way this was going to end well.

"What are you…" she began just as the gun barked and I wrenched her down, ducking myself and already reacting to get out of the way of any broken glass.

A heartbeat later I realised that there was a definite lack of flying shards of death and hastily let Dr Rainer back up before we ran off the road.

"Missed?" she asked sounding frantic, swerving to avoid a hedge that was rushing up to greet us and I heard something thud into the back of the car, figuring it out a half second later.

"No, they're going for…" I began hurriedly as the gun barked again and there was an almightily bang followed by an ear splitting screech of what I can only assume was the wheel rim scraping along the road.

Dr Rainer fought for control as the car fishtailed wildly and I grabbed one of those little handles in the roof that seem only to be there for situations like this, hanging on for dear life. The engine roared as Dr Rainer tried to accelerate away, slamming the steering wheel right to try and counteract the burst tire, and I spotted the Eraser's van closing very fast in the wing mirror.

"_Shit," _I thought as the van slammed into the already uncontrollable car, and for the briefest moment we were travelling horizontally down the road which, if you've ever watched any action movie of any type you'll know, is not a direction any car will move in without protest.

The flip seemed to happen at an almost leisurely pace, the asphalt suddenly loomed in my window and I curled into a ball, fighting the urge to go limp which with hindsight might have been better for me. Glass exploded into the vehicle, tracing red lines across my fur and there was a scream of tortured metal as the door crumpled quickly followed by the roof.

I had my eyes closed by this point.

The g-forces were pinning me to my seat though it wasn't like I really had anywhere to go and I heard the front window shatter, quickly followed by the driver's and I felt the glass rain on my fur. A jolt shook the car as the tires hit the ground again and my head hit the roof with a crack, that was going to hurt in the morning, but the crash was far from over.

I dropped into the foot-well, my mind reeling from the blow and I think I blacked out for just a moment, though I think it would have been nice to miss the rest of the accident as it felt rather akin to being a penny in a washing machine. After the longest ten seconds of my life, bar maybe those first few moments in the tank, the car came to a rest. It was probably upside down though I couldn't particularly tell from where I was, and had long ago lost which way was up. There was only a narrow strip of light from where the door had fallen off.

I tired uncurling a bit but stopped, as my arms screamed in protest, I'd probably broken at least a few bones but with any luck they would fix up fairly quickly. Of course that was assuming my healing power was still working, which hopefully it was because otherwise I'd be in serious trouble. Especially as I think I managed to tenderise my brain during that crash.

I think I zoned out for a minute again after that, because the next thing I knew there was something big blocking out my ray of light and I couldn't hear the van's engine anymore. There was the sound of boots crunching on broken glass and an Eraser half yelling something angrily and I struggled to listen over the ringing in my ears, not to mention the pounding headache.

"I warned you," an Eraser growled to someone or other. "I warned you. We could all see they were out of control but no! You just had to ram them anyway."

"Our orders said neutralise any witnesses and capture the tiger," another Eraser replied in a surly tone. While my sense of direction was kind of rattled I guessed he was the one standing right next to me. "They say she's bloody un-killable anyway."

There was the distinct sound of someone smacking their forehead with their hand.

"Her healing was neutralised," the first Eraser snarled impatiently. "Hence she can be hurt. Hence we get our asses handed to us if she's dead. Getting the picture?"

"Okay, okay I got it," the second Eraser snapped defensively.

"Good. Now I'm going to find some way of getting this wreck the right way up. Stay here and make sure she doesn't escape."

"Wait?" the second Eraser cut in, obviously not the brightest bulb in the shop. "You want me to guard someone you think may have died?"

"Yeah," he shot back. "And I have to scars to justify it." Hmm, apparently I'd met him before.

I listened to the sound of retreating footsteps and attempted to roll my shoulders, it hurt like hell but I could move most of my limbs and none of them seemed to be pinned. In all honestly I'd gotten out of the accident rather well, and any bones I'd broken were already healing up nicely, even the lump on my head had gone down taking my headache with it. I rolled slowly onto my front, thankful for once for the pads on my hands which stopped me ripping my fingers to shreds on the glass, and eyed up the gap between the floor and the ceiling. I'm not entirely sure which one was which but I could see a pair of those heavy boots the Erasers seem to favour through it and I wasn't quite sure I could fit. The last thing I needed to do was to get stuck.

I read somewhere that if you can fit your head and shoulders through a gap you can get the rest of yourself through, it was quite obviously wide enough but I wasn't entirely sure my head was small enough. On the other hand my skull and neck are only remotely human these days so at worst I'd bang my head. I dropped onto my stomach and inched my way through the gap, hanging my head as low as I could and, the moment I felt there was space above my folded ears, burst out, scraping my back on the jagged metal as I did so.

The pain made me gasp and my concentration broke, my foot slipping on a clump of glass and sending me sprawling ignominiously at the feet the Eraser.

"Well, well, well," the Eraser said smugly, the last well accompanied by the click of a cocking hammer. "Look what we have here."

I looked up at him bearing my teeth and pulling my legs up behind me, sitting on my haunches in a very cat like way.

"Now don't move a muscle kitty," he continued and I began to lash my tail, unsheathing my claws and not taking my eyes off the Eraser. Anyone with experience with cats could tell you those were all bad signs, but apparently the Eraser was a dog person and I hadn't started growling just yet.

"Hey guys!" he yelled suddenly to the other Erasers, looking up and briefly taking his eyes off me.

Mistake number one.

Instantly I sprang, slamming my shoulders into the Erasers legs and neatly swept them out from under him sending him crashing to the ground. His gun thundered as he fell and I heard the soft 'ping' as the bullet ricocheted off the tarmac right where I'd been half a second before. I spun round just as his head hit the ground with a bang, and was practically on top of him half a second later, poised to strike if he moved.

"I would suggest not moving a muscle," I said calmly, not even out of breath. The Eraser groaned and tried to raise his head off the asphalt. I took a fistful of hair and slammed it back down. He didn't try and move again.

See, you don't even have to have made a second mistake.

I slunk on all fours over to the pickup, keeping my ears open for any Erasers sneaking up on me and tried to spot Dr Rainer through the wrecked vehicle. In all honesty she didn't look like she was in a good way, her seat belt had more or less kept her in her seat but she was decidedly unconscious and I didn't like the look of the blood pooling on the ground beneath her. It's times like that I really wished I knew first aid, and wasn't trying to fight off however many Erasers.

"Experiment!" the first Eraser's voice called out, right on queue and I rolled my eyes.

"It's Kit," I yelled back, poking my head over the ruined car to see the Erasers quite smartly crouching down, levelling their guns at the car. "Call me anything else and you'll end up like your buddy over here." I ducked back down as a bullet pinged off the under body of the car, okay so this wasn't going to end well.

"If you were smart you'd surrender," the Eraser barked as the echo faded away, and I glanced around. The car had more or less come to rest in the dead centre of the road and there were a good few feet between it and the hedgerows, I could possibly sprint it but getting shot would be likely and a serious problem. Also it hurts like hell.

"Why don't you come and get me?" I called back, sitting down with my back against the wreck. "I can wait all day if I want." That was a lie; I really needed to get Dr Rainer medical help and while I had no idea how I was going to do that, getting rid of the Erasers seemed like a good first step.

"She has to come out soon," I heard him mutter to another Eraser. Yes my hearing is that good. "He said she wasn't exactly patient."

"Backup will be here soon," yet another Eraser pointed out. Okay so much for my waiting until they got bored and tried to take me on hand to hand. I eyed up the nearest hedge more carefully, I might be able to make it without one of them shooting but I would have to be going pretty fast and I didn't have a huge amount of room for a run up. Not to mention that they may well be expecting something like that.

I rocked forward onto my hands, deliberately letting the tip of my tail show over the top of the vehicle and stalked along the side. There was a tense moment where I waited for the pot shot but it didn't come and I sat down very deliberately right at the edge of the car and waited a moment, straining to hear the Erasers. A gun clicked softly and I twisted round, practically gluing my tail to my leg so they wouldn't spot what I was doing and waited a heart beat.

Then I ran.

The wreck flashed by in a blur of red paint and twisted bodywork and I sprang, suddenly appearing out from the opposite side of the car, bullets pinging off the metal and asphalt as I sailed through the hedge and was away.

"No one move!" I heard the first Eraser roar as I skidded to a stop, dropping on to my stomach as I did so. "Do not split up. She'll come to us."

Okay, someone tell me when the Erasers started using their brains? Seriously I'm sure they weren't this smart the first time I fought them. Maybe they were wising up, or finally taking me seriously.

I crept down the line of the hedge; the Erasers were beginning to fan out regardless of the bossy one's orders and it was only really a matter or time before one of them actually thought to look over the hedge. A cursory glance told me the field I was in was pretty barren; it was essentially just ploughed with a few shoots of green which translates to, 'no cover'. That was particularly annoying as I could _see_ the trees on the other side of the road, damn my sense of direction.

I kept walking until I was about a hundred yards away and at the end of the field, the Erasers were getting decidedly twitchy in their positions around their van. They were probably thinking about what would happen to them if I got away without them even trying to catch me. As soon as I felt they'd waited long enough to be completely rattled I put back my head and roared.

I still can't say how satisfying it is to do that, nor why it's so satisfying, but I didn't have any time to waste resting on my laurels, I was already tearing back down the field, desperately trying to keep as silent as possible and trying to figure out just what the Erasers were doing based only on my hearing.

It sounded like it was working, I observed, hanging a left and running a short distance into the field. The Erasers all seemed to be facing my roar and none of them were quite paranoid enough yet to look the other way, I wouldn't be coming from there anyway.

The echoes had barely faded away as I rounded on myself and took a steadying breath. The Erasers were only a dozen yards in front of me and none of them were looking my way. I wasn't going to get a more perfect opportunity.

To the Eraser's it must have seemed like I'd sprung out of thin air, actually I just jumped the hedge, but I consider it my job to freak them out as much as possible. I slammed into the nearest Eraser, hooking my claws into him, driving him to the ground and his head hit the asphalt with a sickening crack as I hastily untangled myself from him, readying to spring in one fluid motion.

The next Eraser had barely noticed me as I struck, knocking him backwards and taking a wild swipe at his throat which missed by millimetres, four parallel lines of red blossoming across his throat. He staggered backwards, desperately trying not to fall as I hooked my claws into him, hanging on for dear life and rather obviously balled my fist right in front of his face. Unfortunately for him, his attempt to grab my hand was foiled by my pinning one arm to his side and him holding a gun in his other hand.

There was a smack as my fist connected and he dropped like a rock, stunned or out cold I didn't particularly care which. A bullet roared over my shoulder and I dropped along with the Eraser, a shot biting into him instead of me and proving that Erasers can be useful after all. I desperately tried to figure out what was going on, the Erasers had retreated back and were surrounding me, all of them with their pistols trained on me. It didn't look like I'd be able to run and just how many bullet wounds I could heal at once wasn't particularly something I wanted to find out.

"Aren't you going to give me a chance to surrender?" I asked, glancing round and creeping my hand over to a dropped gun.

"Being shot doesn't seem to bother you," the first Eraser pointed out with a snarl, pulling back the hammer of his gun.

"Meh," I said shrugging. "It still hurts." I brought the gun up suddenly, training it on the lead Eraser and winced, waiting for the shots to come. Nothing happened.

"Five against one," he pointed out levelly, unperturbed by the muzzle pointed at him. "I'd drop it if I were you."

"You want me to drop it do you?" I asked, smirking as they fell into my plan. "Okay."

I hurled the pistol at the Eraser nearest to the van and was after it like a whippet out of a gun, leaping into the air before they'd even realised I'd moved and neatly caught it in my jaws. The poor Eraser never knew what hit him as I slammed him into the side of the van, knocking the wind out of him and ramming my claws into his throat. I dropped as shots thudded into the vehicle, hastily grabbing another dropped gun and leapt upwards. A splinter of pain shot through my side as a bullet traced its way across my flank but by then I'd hooked my hands over the top of the van and pulled myself to safety.

I lay on the roof panting and spat out the pistol, that hadn't exactly been the sanest thing to do but then again I'd handed in my pass for sanity a long time ago. I rolled onto my front and looked over the guns, from what I could tell they would work and I reckoned the safeties were off, though I wasn't entirely sure my hands were big enough to reach the trigger and hold the stock at the same time. Too bad, I didn't have another plan.

"I wish I had a grenade," I heard the first Eraser mutter; echoing my thoughts somewhat and I crept to the edge of the roof, taking a pistol in each hand.

"Give me the keys," he demanded. "I'll get her off there myself."

Suddenly I poked my head over the lip of the roof and opened fire, literally just hanging my arms over the side so they didn't have any part of me they could shoot back at. Now while it may be true I have no skill with firearms whatsoever it's pretty damn hard to miss at ten feet, even if I was shooting tomb raider style. Both pistols clicked empty just as at long last a bullet clipped one Eraser on the shoulder, and I hurled myself from the roof, crashing into another Eraser who thought he was far enough away from the van to be safe, smashing his head into the ground with yet another crack.

I rounded on yet another Eraser who was already bringing his gun round and charged at him, not leaping for once and feeling a bullet whistle over my back. His leg crunched as I bit down deeply on it, tearing it out from under him and helping him crack his head on the road as he fell, knocking him out cold.

"What was that you said about surrender?" I asked the final Eraser, who also happened to be the first Eraser, rounding on him.

"It's something you should probably do," he said smugly, his gun pointed firmly at me. He was admittedly standing just a little too far away for me to rush him properly and I was kind of out of clever plans, so maybe that attitude was justified.

"After you," I said with mock graciousness, attempting to bow while standing on four legs, something that's interesting to watch to say the least.

"Ah, but I have the gun," he pointed out.

"And I have the body count," I shot back. "Still think you'll win?"

"Gun beats…" he began and I fainted running forwards, cutting him off mid banter and dived left as a bullet ricocheted off the tarmac in front of me, accelerating towards the Eraser with a barely suppressed roar. Something slammed into my back as I charged and I desperately fought to keep my footing, leaping forwards despite the dagger of pain from what felt like a shattered rib.

The Eraser looked honestly surprised as I crashed into him wildly and sent him flying, hitting the asphalt with a smack, and struggling to get to his feet as I tried to do the same. It turns out getting shot really messes up your ability to land on your feet. I had the advantage though; I didn't have to go up as far. Another swift, hair grab and slam routine had him out cold and I finally could relax, or more precisely start paying attention to the various wounds I'm managed to acquire.

First things first though.

I limped over to Dr Rainer and, after checking she was still breathing dragged her out of the wreck. In all honesty you really shouldn't move someone after an accident, but I didn't particularly think it was healthy for her to be hanging upside down from her seat. A quick search in the foot well managed to net me her cell phone and I reluctantly dialled 911.

"Ambulance please," I said in my most human sounding voice, the moment someone picked up the phone.

"What seems to be the problem?" a friendly voice asked after a momentary pause.

"There's been a car crash at…" I began, probably with not nearly as much urgency as I should have had, and the realised that I didn't have a clue where we were.

"Okay I don't know where I am," I admitted. "But I'm using a cell phone."

"Okay, we can trace that," the women on the other end of the line said hurriedly, keys rattling in the background. "How many people are injured?"

"Just one," I told her, glancing round at the Erasers in various states on immobility and began to wander over to one that was showing signs of stirring. "She's breathing but unconscious."

"Any obvious wounds, blood loss?"

"Let me check," I said, clocking the Eraser on the head with a rock and hurrying back to Dr Rainer. "Nothing big," I confirmed. "Lots of scratches though and I know she hit her head."

"Right," the woman confirmed. "An ambulance is on the way, don't move her and help will be there shortly."

"Will do," I told her and hung up.

I sighed as I put down the phone next to Dr Rainer, she really shouldn't have been dragged into this mess and I should've at least done her the curtsy of staying with her until the ambulance arrived but I couldn't afford anyone else to get in trouble over me. With that in mind I began to pile the Erasers up in the back of their van and after a very quick crash course in driving, parked it half a mile away, setting out over the fields with no particular direction in mind.

I never did find out what happened to Dr Rainer, apart from what happens to everyone who tries to help me. I heard the sirens though. So I'll assume she was alright.


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue 

They say all great journeys begin with…

You know what, forget it; philosophy is another thing I seem to have lost, but that didn't much affect the fact that I was sitting in the lower branches of a tree trying to catch a glimmer of movement in the darkened windows of a house.

My house, as it happened.

It had taken a long time but I was finally home. Turned out Dr Rainer had gotten me far closer than I'd ever imagined and I was walking in the woods behind my house by sundown. Then I discovered just how many Erasers there were skulking there. At least it told me Soph had probably made it back, that or they had wised up and figured out just where I was going.

That was why I was stuck up a tree at midnight-ish desperately watching for a sign that I shouldn't have been over the horizon already. I guess at least I had plenty to do, I hadn't stopped running for a long time and there were a ton of issues I had to resolve over just who I was and whether I was thinking any differently than usual.

Naturally I was drawing a blank and hovering somewhere between zoning out and dozing off.

It was no use really, I knew who I was. I was Kit. Currently a part human tiger and if I was thinking any differently than I used to… Well, old me felt alien these days, not the other way around.

A light flicked on in Soph's room, and a moment later she appeared in her window looking out into the night. I was fairly sure she couldn't see me, or at least she didn't look like she'd noticed a tiger in a tree.

She looked; well. Though, as the last time I saw her she'd been in a cage, anything would have been an improvement. However long she'd had at home can't have hurt either. I did wonder how Mom and Dad had coped with her having wings now, but very shortly that wasn't going to matter.

I began to climb down the tree. Frankly I would have liked to just slink off and hope that the Lab would just leave her alone. Too bad there was absolutely no chance of that happening.

It was going to get worse before it got better.

The End


	14. Afterword

And another story draws to a close. Yes I am well aware that I took yet another massive hiatus while writing and the Borrowed Wings saga seems fated to stall shortly before the last chapter, and end with a far too short cliff hanger. It was never really my intention to leave everyone hanging and it probably cost me my audience, but I got distracted by both the Freed and something shiny. It happens a lot.

Anyway as has become traditional I'm going to do all the author's notes that would have gone along with the story but I never write. First though, I'm sad to announce that it is unlikely that I'll be doing a sequel, mostly because I want to start writing my own projects and so many of my stories on Fan Fiction will be coming to a close. It's actually a shame because I have the plot of the next story hashed out, though I probably shouldn't tell people that.

Anyway, now for the comments.

For Not Human it was very much my aim to make a character that was the literal opposite of Soph and, while I did just let Kit grow on her own, it was always my intention to make a character that could actually look after herself and wouldn't be overly distraught about her transformation. While Kit probably takes this to extremes a little, you may notice that while Soph always focuses on the fairly insignificant changes in her personality, Kit tends to focus on the physical things. Oddly the more superficial physical changes bug her more than the fact she's now mostly tiger, specifically her feet, but Kit's weird like that.

Now you can probably read too much into Kit's apparent lack of concern over her transformation; while she doesn't like it she's well aware that she almost certainly wont be getting back to normal (Soph probably knows this intellectually but prefers to hope). Kit is very much an immediate person that very rarely dwells on the past. This attitude's partly due to the changes in Kit's personality and partly because she was always like that, I'm not entirely sure exactly which one is more relevant. I suppose in the end Kit is Kit and always was Kit, and as far as I know her overall personality didn't change much because of the treatment. She definitely wasn't another Soph before, but the bloodlust is not really due to any changes in her personality.

That sounds weird I know, but what actually changed about Kit were her instincts and that's why she finds it so hard to notice anything different about herself. How do you measure how much your ruler shrunk with the same ruler? This is why Kit tends to do some odd things, for example killing Erasers. She doesn't actually see any problem with killing them as they're trying to kill her, or worse, but she doesn't really go out of her way to hurt them. Technically, it's about fifty-fifty whether she actually kills an Eraser or not, and it's mostly based on if it's faster to knock them out or tear out their throat. There's no particular aggression in her intent but from a human perspective she comes across as just a touch bloodthirsty.

To use a different analogy for how Kit's thinking has changed; she is asking all the same questions: fight/ flight? hide/ run? but getting totally different responses as her subconscious has been replaced by that of a tiger. She struggles with allowing people to help her because big cats are essentially solitary animals, she empathises only on the intellectual level for the same reason, she even naturally attacks from behind which is something tigers will always endeavour to do. Her conscious thoughts are all the same but she's getting entirely new messages from her subconscious and that's why Kit ever so subtly acts 'not human'.

Now onto some of the content. One of the running themes of Not Human was that everyone was still willing to help Kit; despite the fact she now looks like a horror movie star and in all honesty the Erasers are more human. Why people trust her over the rather less blood stained and more official looking Erasers I'm not exactly sure, I really should wave it off as a plot device and leave it at that but I cant help feel that there's something deeper that I haven't quite figured out yet. Oh well.

Anyway, Not Human and Borrowed Wings have a couple of common features; notably the final car crash and an abrupt ending, and oddly I never actually intended this to happen. I only really realised that there was a crash in both stories shortly after finishing Not Human but I suppose they do happen for totally different reasons and Kit does have the chance to be badass afterwards. Once again I do apologise for making the final part of each story so short but they both kind of just end quietly after all the action. Home for Soph and Kit is a peaceful place and tends to stay that way, or at least it will until the Erasers start hammering on their door.

Now a few final things I should mention. First Kit's physiology. Now I am very bad at doing character descriptions and it's actually rather difficult in first person, you very rarely do a full description of yourself and Kit especially has reason not to mention her appearance. Again simply put, Kit looks like a large bipedal tiger, (actually she's a little skinnier than a real tiger though that's mostly due to most of her muscles being underdeveloped because there wasn't enough of her to begin with - she'll bulk up). Its something I think I struggle to put across very well, Kit doesn't look like a slightly tiger-y person, like say the Erasers who look a bit like wolves, but a five foot six cat standing on its hind legs. It really makes me wonder why people react so well to her.

A few other random facts. Kit is fully quadrupedal and really it's just up to her whether she stands upright or on all fours, mostly she fights on all fours simply because she can move faster and she's at thigh biting height, though as you're well aware Kit usually goes for the throat. And now let's see: Kit does have some problems balancing while upright but that's mostly a practice issue as she had to get used to her feet, due to the adaptations to her hands she can't hold objects nearly as well, and there's also her arms which are now hinged completely differently, but that's fairly redundant as Kit compensates and so they never shows up in the story.

Now one final thing, which is a **spoiler**, but I realised I may never actually get round to explaining this within the story so here it goes. The lab has very little to do with Soph and Kit's healing powers, it is a latent gene from within their family line which the White Coats accidentally switched on and this gene is responsible for their ferocious internal defences. In a nut shell it induces hyper rapid cell division in a trauma area and as genetic replication isn't really possible at those speeds, it also repairs any damaged or incomplete DNA.

This is the only reason Soph and Kit were able to survive having their genes overwritten, unfortunately for them their bodies started defending themselves with the new code rather than the old and that's why the Lab is after them so badly. There's also an ulterior motive for the Lab wanting Kit and Soph and not just for completing their 'recoded' program. This is because, and only one person in the storyline has realised this, Soph and Kit wont age beyond about twenty six and unless killed are practically immortal.

And with that revelation I'll give a few thanks and bid you adieu. So thank you everyone who reviewed:

icydragon14

marie47

Barkflow-of-Riverclan

not magical me

Talon - Wings and a pulse

Ace

Dino12345610

Bigfoot TI

Nostalgic Beauty

tillybear

GuesssWho

I am Brooklyn

pecanlover5

firefly63

JJ

Circlesandsquares

mergirl007

And anyone who was anonymous

Also thanks go to my Beta, and apologies to anyone I growled at while writing Kit.

Thanks for reading.


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